“Look to God and Live”
Old Testament Lesson #15,
Gospel Doctrine, Complied by Maren Hale
Reading: Numbers 11-14; 21:1-9
INTRODUCTION
The Book of Numbers recounts a great national tragedy. Within just a few months of their deliverance from Egypt, the Children of Israel had an opportunity to inherit the promised land. But this inheritance was delayed for forty years because of their contentions, divisions, and lack of faith. By the time Israel finally showed enough faith to be able to enter the promised land, most of this faltering generation had died. (Old Testament Gospel Doctrine Teacher’s Manual, p. 13)
Most of the Book of Numbers describes:
● Israel’s encounter with God and his prophet, Moses,
● lessons painfully learned in the desert,
● and the 38-year period from the time Israel left Mt. Sinai until they arrived at Mt. Pisgah on the east side of the Jordan River (a route that should take less than 11 days).
In Numbers 1, a census is taken when the Lord commanded Moses to number all males in all the tribes of Israel over 20 years of age – 603,550 (Numbers 1:46)
The Levites were not numbered in the census.
From this accounting, the total population of Israel was from 2-3 million.
● As we know, the Bible may not be translated correctly.
● Some scholars believe the total number was closer to 500,000.
● This may have been the largest single migration in the history of the world.
Despite the blessings the Israelites received from the Lord, their fear and lack of faith often caused them to wish they had not left Egypt. Their yearning for Egypt delayed and complicated their journey to the promised land.
BODY
An Attitude of Gratitude
SCRIPTURE: Numbers 11:4-6
4. And the mixt multitude that was among them fell a lusting: and the children of Israel also wept again, and said, Who shall give us flesh to eat?
5. We remember the fish, which we did eat in Egypt freely; the cucumbers, and the melons, and the leeks, and the onions, and the garlick:
6. But now our soul is dried away: there is nothing at all, besides this manna, before our eyes.
It is not difficult to understand the situation of these people. Imagine eating the same thing day after day. Even your favorite meal!
EXPERIENCE: Too much of a good thing
I have always loved asparagus. Being a delicacy and expensive, it is a real treat.
A few years back, our neighbors returned home from visiting their family farm in Washington State where they grew asparagus. They came over with a huge crate of asparagus for us. We were so excited, but after a few days, we had had our fill and still, most of the crate remained. By the end of the week, I didn’t care if I ever saw another spear of asparagus again.
QUESTION: So, what sin were the Israelites guilty of when they tired of manna and desired meat instead? [ingratitude]
QUOTE #1
President Lorenzo Snow: “I have thought sometimes that one of the greatest virtues the Latter-day Saints could possess is gratitude to our Heavenly Father for that which he has bestowed upon us and the path over which he has led us. It may be that walking along in that path has not always been of the most pleasant character; but we have afterwards discovered that those circumstances which have been very unpleasant have often proved of the highest advantage to us.” (Conference Report, April 1899)
Elder Neal A. Maxwell: “Bearing one’s testimony and expressing gratitude are like periodic inventories; counting our blessings is both healthy and invigorating. Counting is better than commiserating.” (Deposition of a Disciple, p. 74)
QUESTION: What happens when we are ungrateful? [It affects our attitudes, our relationship with others, and our relationship with God.]
President Gordon B. Hinckley: “Absence of gratitude is the mark of the narrow, uneducated mind. It bespeaks a lack of knowledge and the ignorance of self-sufficience. It expresses itself in ugly egotism and frequently in wanton mischief....Where there is gratitude, there is humility, as opposed to pride.” (Conference Report, October 1964)
QUESTION: How can we become more grateful? [Pray and acknowledge our blessings daily. Then we will see the hand of the Lord in all things.]
I have always loved President Monson’s talk entitled “An Attitude of Gratitude.”
He states, “Well could we reflect upon our lives as individuals. We will soon discover much to prompt our personal gratitude.”
He then tells us where our gratitude should be placed:
“First, there is gratitude for our mothers…
“Second, let us reflect gratitude for our fathers….
“Third, all of us remember with gratitude our teachers…
“Fourth, let us have gratitude for our friends. Our most cherished friend is our partner in marriage…
“Fifth, may we acknowledge gratitude for our country—the land of our birth…
“Sixth and finally—even supremely—let us reflect gratitude for our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. His glorious gospel provides answers to life’s greatest questions. He taught us how to pray. He taught us how to live. He taught us how to die. His life is a legacy of love. The sick He healed; the downtrodden He lifted; the sinner He saved…“Only He stood alone.”
President Monson closes his talk with, “Let us follow Him. Let us emulate His example. Let us obey His word. By so doing, we give to Him the divine gift of gratitude.” (President Thomas S. Monson, “An Attitude of Gratitude,” Ensign, May 1992)
Shared leadership: Many Hands to Bear the Load
SCRIPTURE: Numbers 11:11 and 14
11. And Moses said unto the Lord, Wherefore hast thou afflicted thy servant? And wherefore have I not found favour in thy sight, that thou layest the burden of all this people upon me?
14. I am not able to bear all this people alone, because it is too heavy for me.
Moses is struggling to deal with the childish Israelites. He tells the Lord that it is more than he can bear alone. Moses pleads with the Lord:
“And if thou deal thus with me, kill me, I pray thee, out of hand, if I have found favour in thy sight.” (Numbers 11:15)
Moses’ calling had become more than he felt he could handle. There seemed to be no way to accomplish the will of the Lord and he asked the Lord for a way out.
QUESTION: How did the Lord respond?
● The Lord calls 70 to assist Moses in the work. (Numbers 11:16-17)
● The Lord assured Moses that he would provide meat. (v. 18)
● The Lord gave the Spirit to the seventy and they prophesied. (v. 25)
When Joshua saw these men speaking the words of prophecy he asked Moses to forbid them:
SCRIPTURE: Numbers 11:28-29
28. And Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of Moses, one of his young men, answered and said, My lord Moses, forbid them.
29. And Moses said unto him, Enviest thou for my sake? Would God that all the Lord’s people were prophets, and that the Lord would put his spirit upon them!
Moses was weighed down with the responsibilities of leading the increasingly resistant and murmuring Israel. The Lord provided seventy elders to lighten his load. Joshua appealed to Moses to restrain two of the elders who were prophesying in the camp, but Moses saw it quite differently. He wished that all the Lord’s people would be moved by the spirit of prophecy, for that is the way the Lord would have it. Spiritual teamwork is one hallmark of a Zion society. (Ed J. Pinegar, and Richard J. Allen, Teachings and Commentary on the Old Testament, p. 380)
Robert L. Millet: “Indeed, ‘would God that all the Lord’s people were prophets, and that the Lord would put his spirit upon them!’ When every man or woman – whether ancient or modern Israelite – has the testimony of Jesus, the spirit of prophecy burning within his or her soul, then the work of the Lord moves forward by leaps and bounds.
“The strength of the kingdom of God at any time is not to be found alone in the power and strength of its leaders, but more important in the individual testimonies of the members. Members who gain the witness and enjoy the gifts lift heavy burdens from the shoulders of the leaders, for they now perform their labors in the Church with intelligent obedience.” (Studies in Scripture, 3:188)
QUOTE #2
Elder Russell M. Ballard: “We spend many hours in various meetings talking about [members] and planning how we can bless their lives. Can you see the potential power of the priesthood and auxiliaries working together to systematically reach out to families and individuals? I believe that the answers to the activity problems facing our wards and stakes can be found in the priesthood and auxiliary councils.” (Counseling with our Councils: Learning to Minister Together in the Church and in the Family, p 7)
QUOTE #3
President Brigham Young: “I am like Moses when a messenger came to him saying, ‘The people are prophesying in their tents,’ Said Moses, Well, what of that? I would to God that the Lord’s people were all prophets! I would to God that they all had revelation! When they receive revelation from heaven the story is told, they know for themselves.” (Journal of Discourses, 13:336)
QUOTE #4
President James E. Faust: “With faith in the Lord and humility, a priesthood leader may confidently expect divine assistance in his problems….Brethren, we can learn, we can study, we can comprehend the basic things we need to know as members of God’s holy priesthood. We can learn the giant truths and teach them with intelligence and understanding to those who come to learn. We can also lean upon the strengths of others whose talents are greater than our own.” (in The Power within Us, Russell M. Nelson, p. 179)
EXPERIENCE
How many times have we heard from leaders in our Church, stake, and ward, that they could not have accomplished a task without the help of many other members? We hear this every week. I know I have been the recipient of great help and strength from others in Church callings I have held.
It is amazing how more heads and hands lighten the load. We can gain so much from the ideas and inspiration of others. When many come together for a common cause, the work is easier, more enjoyable, and is accomplished efficiently.
In April General Conference, Elder Koichi Aoyagi stated:
“I do not have time to tell you about all the good things I see Church members do. They follow the counsel of the prophet—not out of duty or responsibility but of their own free will, anonymously and joyfully.” (Conference Report, “Helping Hands, Saving Hands,” April 2010)
Humility versus Taking Authority unto Ourselves.
The priesthood of God operates on principles of humility and meekness. Pride and arrogance have no place in spiritual leadership.
SCRIPTURE: Numbers 12:3
3. (Now the man Moses was very meek, above all the men which were upon the face of the earth.)
QUESTION: What does it mean to be meek? [Again, we go back to the importance of gratitude]
QUOTE #5
President Gordon B. Hinckley: “Meekness implies a spirit of gratitude as opposed to an attitude of self-sufficiency, an acknowledgment of a greater power beyond oneself, a recognition of God, and an acceptance of his commandments.” (“With All Thy Getting Get Understanding,” Ensign, August 1988, pp. 3-4)
“Miriam and Aaron complained against Moses and claimed for themselves equal prophetic gifts. They were rebuked by the Lord, and Miriam was exiled for a week with leprosy. The Lord upheld his servant Moses as the chosen prophet and extolled his greatness as one who can speak face to face with the Lord. (Numbers12)
“We must avoid finding fault with the Lord’s anointed and instead sustain and uphold our ordained leaders with faith and humility.” (Ed J. Pinegar and Richard J. Allen, Teachings and Commentary on the Old Testament, p. 382)
EXPERIENCE: My mother taught me to sustain the Brethren
One of the greatest examples my mother gave me was in how she sustained the leaders of the Church – never finding fault or murmuring. As a child I had full faith and confidence in the Brethren and my ward and stake leaders. As a young adult, I observed that a Church leader in our area had a different business ethic which ended up impacting our family financially. I never heard my mother find fault or mention what I perceived as a personal weakness in him. She was able to separate his business dealings from his Church office and realized that it was not up to her to judge his actions. This brother continued to serve in many capacities in the Church, to raise his family, to give charitably, and to work out the plan of salvation in his life.
Faith Does Not Murmur
The children of Israel displayed a chronic tendency to murmur, find fault, focus on memories of the abundance of their former Egyptian life, and complain against Moses and the Lord.
SCRIPTURE: Numbers 14:1-3
1. And all the congregation lifted up their voice, and cried; and the people wept that night.
2. And all the children of Israel murmured against Moses and against Aaron: and the whole congregation said unto them, Would God that we had died in the land of Egypt! Or would God we had died in this wilderness!
3. And wherefore hath the Lord brought us unto this land, to fall by the sword, that our wives and our children should be a prey? Were it not better for us to return into Egypt?
In his wrath, the Lord plagued them with an abundance of meat so they would be consumed in their greed.
SCRIPTURE: Numbers 14:11
11. And the Lord said unto Moses, How long will this people provoke me? And how long will it be ere they believe me, for all the signs which I have shewed among them?
When their 12 captains were sent to spy out the promised land, ten of them succumbed to fear in the face of the enemy and brought back news of hopelessness. Only Joshua and Caleb had the faith to see Israel victorious with the help of the Lord.
Then the Lord swears that the murmuring people will not enter the promised land.
SCRIPTURE: Numbers 14:33
33. And your children shall wander in the wilderness forty years, and bear your whoredoms, until your carcasses be wasted in the wilderness.
The Lord’s choicest blessings are reserved for the faithful. Murmuring and fear are not qualities of the righteous.
Some disaffected members of the Church stray towards apostasy as they try to persuade others to pull away from the gospel, the Holy Ghost, and the light of Christ.
QUOTE #6
President Gordon B. Hinckley: “…We see some around us who are indifferent concerning the future of this work, who are apathetic, who speak of limitations, who express fears, who spend their time digging out and writing about what they regard to be weaknesses which really are of no consequence. With doubt concerning its past, they have no vision concerning its future.” (Ensign, November 1995, p. 71)
It is important for us to understand that President Monson receives revelation for the world, while we are privileged to receive personal revelation for ourselves and our stewardships.
QUOTE #7
President James E. Faust: “The prophets, seers, and revelators have had and still have the responsibility and privilege of receiving and declaring the word of God for the world. Individual members, parents, and leaders have the right to receive revelation for their own responsibility but have no duty nor right to declare the word of God beyond the limits of their own responsibility. (Ensign, November 1989, p. 8)
QUESTION: What happens when we find fault with our spouses, children, friends, or workmates? [Hurts their self images, they don’t trust us, we rationalize our own weaknesses, we tear down relationships.]
QUOTE #8
Elder Marvin J. Ashton: “I am acquainted with a wife and mother who is chained securely at the present time to a life-style of murmuring and criticism. She is the first to point out faults in her husband or to repeat neighborhood gossip. How damaging is a habit that permits fault-finding, character assassination, and the sharing of malicious rumors! Gossip and caustic comments often create chains of contentions. These chains may appear to be very small, but what misery and woe they can cause! (Be of Good Cheer, p. 66)
Look to Christ and Live.
In Numbers, chapter 21 Israel destroyed those Canaanites who fight against her. The children of Israel journeyed from Mount Hor by the Red Sea to the land of Edom, and the people were discouraged and they murmured again. “And the Lord sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people; and much people of Israel died.” (verse 6)
Then the people came to Moses to repent of their sinning and asked him to pray to the Lord and take away the serpents.
SCRIPTURE: Numbers 21:8-9
8. “And the Lord said unto Moses, Make thee a fiery serpent, and set it upon a pole: and it shall come to pass, that every one that is bitten, when he looketh upon it, shall live.
9. “And Moses made a serpent of brass, and put it upon a pole, and it came to pass, that if a serpent had bitten any man, when he beheld the serpent of brass, he lived.”
“The Lord responded to the faithless murmuring of the Israelites by sending fiery serpents to humble them. He commanded Moses to set up a token of safety in the form of a brass serpent – signifying the Redeemer – so that all who would focus their eyes on this sign would live.
“The symbolism, which has endured over the millennia, is a powerful reminder that we must take upon ourselves the name of Christ and live by all the principles and ordinances of the gospel if we are to have the hope of salvation.” (Ed J. Pinegar and Richard J. Allen, Teachings and Commentary on the Old Testament, p. 385)
QUOTE #9
Elder Carols E. Asay: “We, like Israel of old, must rivet our eyes and minds upon…Christ if we hope to gain eternal life….Our looks must not be allowed to wander across the way or to become fixed upon the perishable things of the world. The eye…must be trained to look upward. We must look to God and live!” (Conference Report, October 1978, p. 81)
CONCLUSION
“The process of coming unto Christ is shown dramatically with the Israelites as they were compelled to humility; then, being teachable, they looked upon the brazen serpent [or symbol of Christ] and were saved.
“This process is duplicated in everyone’s life in order to be saved. We become humbled either by the situation or by the word [of God]….Then, with [a] broken heart and contrite spirit, we come unto Christ by faith unto repentance.
“This process is duplicated every day as people give up the world, humble themselves before God, and come unto Christ. This is the mission of the Church and kingdom of God – to invite all to come unto Christ. (Ed. J. Pinegar and Richard J. Allen, Teachings and Commentary on the Old Testament, p. 386)
We can learn a great deal from the lessons of liberated Israel. Many hands lighten the load of building the kingdom of God. We all must learn our duty, sustain our Church leaders, and refrain from finding fault or murmuring. Above all, we must focus obediently on the Savior and keep his commandments.
EXPERIENCE: Lucas Hardy Hale
The past 3 weeks have had its ups and downs for the Hale family. In March, our daughter-in-law, Melinda, began to experience complications in her pregnancy due to a placental abruption or tear. 2 weeks ago she had to be hospitalized for constant monitoring and bed rest to continued bleeding.
I received a phone call from my son, Forrest, at 6:30 a.m. Monday morning, asking me to rush to their home to watch the children, so he could go to the hospital to be with Melinda. The baby’s heart rate had fallen.
By the time Forrest arrived, a C-section had been quickly performed – even before pain medication for Melinda could take effect. Our 1 LB 8 oz. Lucas Hardy Hale was born at only 25 weeks gestation.
We have seen many miracles surrounding Melinda’s pregnancy and the birth of Lucas. At 6 days old things look hopeful, but remain tenuous for him.
I visit him every day in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. I sign in at the desk and pass a beautiful painting of Jesus holding a newborn baby in his arms. The painting is very comforting.
I have been focusing on this lesson for 2 weeks, and this great challenge in our family has magnified for me the fact that all is in the Lord’s hands concerning our tiny grandson. This beautiful child and the lovely painting I pass each day, remind me that I must “look to Christ so that I and my loved ones may live with Him eternally.
Elder Richard G. Scott gave a beautiful talk a few weeks ago in general conference entitled “He Lives! All Glory To His Name!” He said:
“I energetically encourage you to establish a personal study plan to better understand and appreciate the incomparable, eternal, infinite consequences of Jesus Christ’s perfect fulfillment of His divinely appointed calling as our Savior and Redeemer. Profound personal pondering of the scriptures accompanied by searching, heartfelt prayer will fortify your understanding of and appreciation for His priceless Atonement. Another powerful way to learn of Jesus Christ and His Atonement is through consistent temple attendance…
“The Savior loves each of us and will make it possible for our every need to be satisfied as we qualify by obedience for all of the blessings He wants us to have on this earth.”
Elder Scott closed with: “I love and adore Him. As His authorized servant I solemnly testify with every capacity of my being that He lives…” (Conference Report, April 2010)
I add my testimony to his – that Christ lives, and that through his Atonement and our obedience, we can and will live eternally with Him. May we “look to our Father in Heaven and Christ and live,” I pray.
References:
April 2010 General Conference talks as noted
Bob Beardall, Gospel Doctrine Lesson 15, quotes
Ed J. Pinegar and Richard J. Allen, Teachings and Commentaries on the Old Testament, pp. 379-386.
Maren Hale, personal experiences
Old Testament Teacher’s Manual, Lesson 15
President Thomas S. Monson, “An Attitude of Gratitude,” Ensign, May 1992
Monday, April 26, 2010
Sunday, April 18, 2010
"Ye Shall Be a Peculiar Treasure Unto Me"
Ye Shall Be a Peculiar Treasure Unto Me
Old Testament: Lesson 14 (Exodus 15-20; 32-34)
by Ted L. Gibbons
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AUTHOR'S NOTE: This lesson will not follow precisely the format of the lesson in the manual for Gospel Doctrine. I want to provide some insights and background to the excellent material contained in the Church's publication. I hope it will help you in understanding what happened to Israel in the wilderness and at Mount Sinai.
Introduction
One of things the Children of Israel needed to learn was trust in the Lord. In Proverbs we read
"Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths" (Prov. 3:5,6).
Over and over again as Israel traveled from Egypt to Sinai, the Lord seemed to be saying, "Trust me." Actual trust is a precious commodity, one not to be given lightly. The older Alma taught,
"And also trust no one to be your teacher nor your minister, except he be a man of God, walking in his ways and keeping his commandments" (Mosiah 23:14 ).
The story that follows, given by Elder McKay in 1944, illustrates how important it is to find those you know you know you can trust.
"There is a story told that a company of botanists seeking some special flowers up in the Canadian Rockies, came one day to a very rare flower down on the side of a cliff. To reach it they would have to retrace their steps and go back ten miles to come up from the valley below. Someone suggested that if they had a rope they could let a boy down to pick the specimens. That suggestion was prompted by the fact that a little boy had been following them for about an hour, watching them silently.
They got the rope and said:
Here, lad, we'll give you $5 if you will put this rope around you and permit us to let you down to get those flowers.
Without saying a word the lad scampered off. They thought they had frightened him. He went to a house nearby and soon came back with a man by his side. Then the little fellow answered:
You may put that rope around me, and I'll get the flower, if you'll let my dad hold the rope" (Pres. David O. McKay, CR, Apr. 1944).
I. THE LORD TRIES TO TEACH ISRAEL TO TRUST HIM.
In these chapters, the Lord seems to be trying to teach Israel to trust him to "hold the rope." We will discuss the episodes leading to Mount Sinai with that in mind.
ONE
1. The Problem: (Exodus 14) We discussed this event in lesson 13. The Egyptian Army trapped the Israelites at the edge of the Red Sea.
2. Israel's Reaction: "And they said unto Moses, Because there were no graves in Egypt, hast thou taken us away to die in the wilderness? wherefore hast thou dealt thus with us, to carry us forth out of Egypt? Is not this the word that we did tell thee in Egypt, saying, Let us alone, that we may serve the Egyptians? For it had been better for us to serve the Egyptians, than that we should die in the wilderness" (Ex. 14:12 ,13).
3. The Lord's Solution: The sea was divided and the Egyptian Army destroyed.
4. The Lesson: Trust me to protect you.
TWO
1. The Problem: Bitter water "And when they came to Marah, they could not drink of the waters of Marah, for they were bitter: therefore the name of it was called Marah" (Ex. 15:23).
2. Israel's Reaction: "And the people murmured against Moses, saying, What shall we drink?" (Ex. 15:24).
3. The Lord's Solutions: (A) "And [Moses] cried unto the LORD; and the LORD shewed him a tree, which when he had cast into the waters, the waters were made sweet: there he made for them a statute and an ordinance, and there he proved them . . ." (Ex. 15:25 ).
(B) "And they came to Elim, where were twelve wells of water, and threescore and ten palm trees: and they encamped there by the waters" (Ex. 15:27 ).
4. The Lesson: I will help you meet your legitimate needs.
THREE
1. The Problem: Hunger ". . . ye have brought us forth into this wilderness, to kill this whole assembly with hunger" (Ex. 16:3).
2. Israel's Reaction: "And the whole congregation of the children of Israel murmured against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness: And the children of Israel said unto them, Would to God we had died by the hand of the LORD in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the flesh pots, and when we did eat bread to the full . . ." (Ex. 16:2,3).
3.The Lord's Solution: Manna "Then said the LORD unto Moses, Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you; and the people shall go out and gather a certain rate every day, that I may prove them, whether they will walk in my law, or no" (Ex. 16:4).
We ought to note that the purpose of the manna is not just to feed these people but to "prove them, whether they [would] walk in [the ] law, or no" (see Exodus 16:4). The nature of the instructions about manna suggest other lessons that were to be learned as well. It had to be gathered every day. It could not be stored except for the Sabbath.
"And thou shalt remember all the way which the LORD thy God led thee these forty years in the wilderness, to humble thee, and to prove thee, to know what was in thine heart, whether thou wouldest keep his commandments, or no. And he humbled thee, and suffered thee to hunger, and fed thee with manna, which thou knewest not, neither did thy fathers know; that he might make thee know that man doth not live by bread only, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the LORD doth man live" (Deut. 8:2,3).
4. The Lesson: Trust me every day. Feast on my word every day.
FOUR
1. The Problem: No water to drink "And all the congregation of the children of Israel journeyed from the wilderness of Sin, after their journeys, according to the commandment of the LORD, and pitched in Rephidim: and there was no water for the people to drink" (Ex. 17:1).
2. Israel's Reaction: "Wherefore the people did chide with Moses, and said, Give us water that we may drink. And Moses said unto them, Why chide ye with me? wherefore do ye tempt the LORD? And the people thirsted there for water; and the people murmured against Moses, and said, Wherefore is this that thou hast brought us up out of Egypt, to kill us and our children and our cattle with thirst? And Moses cried unto the LORD, saying, What shall I do unto this people? they be almost ready to stone me" (Ex. 17:2-4).
3. The Lord's Solution: Instead of showing Israel a tree or an oases, the Lord commanded Moses to bring water from solid rock!
"And the LORD said unto Moses, Go on before the people, and take with thee of the elders of Israel ; and thy rod, wherewith thou smotest the river, take in thine hand, and go. Behold, I will stand before thee there upon the rock in Horeb; and thou shalt smite the rock, and there shall come water out of it, that the people may drink. And Moses did so in the sight of the elders of Israel" (Ex 17:5,6).
4. The Lesson: Trust my leaders.
FIVE
1. The Problem: The Amalekites attack (Ex. 17:8).
2. Israel's Reaction: Israel prevails when Moses holds up the rod and the falter when he does not.
"And it came to pass, when Moses held up his hand, that Israel prevailed: and when he let down his hand, Amalek prevailed" (Ex. 17:11 ).
3. The Lord's Solution: "But Moses' hands were heavy; and they took a stone, and put it under him, and he sat thereon; and Aaron and Hur stayed up his hands, the one on the one side, and the other on the other side; and his hands were steady until the going down of the sun. And Joshua discomfited Amalek and his people with the edge of the sword" (Ex. 17:12 ,13).
4. The Lesson: Trust my leaders.
SIX
1. The Problem: "Moses sat to judge the people: and the people stood by Moses from the morning unto the evening . . . And Moses' father in law said unto him, The thing that thou doest is not good. Thou wilt surely wear away, both thou, and this people that is with thee: for this thing is too heavy for thee; thou art not able to perform it thyself alone" (Ex. 18:13 ,17,18).
2. Israel's Reaction: Israel must wait long periods for help and counsel and the people (and Moses) "wilt surely wear away" (see Ex. 18:18 ).
3. The Lord's Solution: "Moreover thou shalt provide out of all the people able men, such as fear God, men of truth, hating covetousness; and place such over them, to be rulers of thousands, and rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens: And let them judge the people at all seasons: and it shall be, that every great matter they shall bring unto thee, but every small matter they shall judge: so shall it be easier for thyself, and they shall bear the burden with thee" (Ex. 18:21,22).
4. The Lesson: Trust my leaders.
The passages in Exodus 18 mentioned above, in which Jethro teaches Moses about delegation, contain an interesting description of some of the things Prophets are supposed to do.
(18:15) "enquire of God"
(18:16) "judge between one and another"
(18:16) "make them know the statutes of God, and his laws"
(18:19) "Be thou for the people to God-ward, that thou mayest bring the causes unto God."
(18:20) "Teach them ordinances and laws"
(18:20) "Shew them the way wherein they must walk"
(18:20) "Shew them . . . the work that they must do."
(18:22) "Every great matter they shall bring to thee."
(19:17) "And Moses brought . . . the people . . . to meet with God"
The Lord taught the Israelites the importance of following Moses one more time at Mount Sinai. He instructed Moses to prepare the people to meet with him, and then said:
"Lo, I come unto thee in a thick cloud, that the people may hear when I speak with thee, and believe thee for ever. And Moses told the words of the people unto the LORD" (Ex. 198:9).
II. THE LORD MEETS WITH MOSES ON MOUNT SINAI AND GIVES ISRAEL THE TEN COMMANDMENTS.
Some have supposed that the 10 Commandments were given to Moses, and that he then gave them to Israel. The scriptural account is pretty clear that it did not happen in just that way. Note the promise God made in Exodus 19:9: "That the people may hear with I speak with thee."
In Exodus 20:1, we are told that God "spake all these words . . ." In Exodus 20:22, after declaring the 10 Commandments, the Lord says, "You have seen that I have talked with you from heaven."
In Deuteronomy 5:4 Moses reminds Israel that "The LORD talked with you face to face in the mount out of the midst of the fire . . ." In Deuteronomy 5:23,24 we read
"And it came to pass, when ye heard the voice out of the midst of the darkness, (for the mountain did burn with fire,) that ye came near unto me, even all the heads of your tribes, and your elders; And ye said, Behold, the LORD our God hath shewed us his glory and his greatness, and we have heard his voice out of the midst of the fire: we have seen this day that God doth talk with man, and he liveth."
Also please note that the 10 Commandments and the three chapters that follow (Exodus 21-23) are part of an eternal gospel covenant, and not part of the Law of Moses. Moses' desire was to prepare the people to see God.
"Now this Moses plainly taught to the children of Israel in the wilderness, and sought diligently to sanctify his people that they might behold the face of God; But they hardened their hearts and could not endure his presence; therefore, the Lord in his wrath, for his anger was kindled against them, swore that they should not enter into his rest while in the wilderness, which rest is the fulness of his glory. Therefore, he took Moses out of their midst, and the Holy Priesthood also . . ." (D&C 84:23-25).
When the Lord had finished giving the instructions in these chapters, the people made a covenant:
"And Moses came and told the people all the words of the LORD, and all the judgments: and all the people answered with one voice, and said, All the words which the LORD hath said will we do" (Ex. 24:3).
A few verses later they said (again): "All that the LORD hath said will we do, and be obedient" (Ex. 24:7).
Some of the Israelites actually did see God.
"Then went up Moses, and Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel: And they saw the God of Israel: and there was under his feet as it were a paved work of a sapphire stone, and as it were the body of heaven in his clearness. And upon the nobles of the children of Israel he laid not his hand: also they saw God, and did eat and drink" (Ex. 24:9-11).
It was after all of this that Moses went into the mount and received the tables of stone with these laws written on them (see Ex. 24:12).
There are still a great many who accept and attempt to abide by the Ten Commandments, but there are a great many who do not. We live in a day when commandments are not generally well-received.
"In his book The 2nd Ten Commandments, Orion Moshe Kopelman says the original set of 10 is an outmoded, uncultural guide. The first of his new multi-cultural, world-wide commandments is "Maximize your time spent in flow and happiness." This rule may not make a lot of sense to people in southern Sudan or Kerala, unless they keep up with theories of personal growth or have spent some time in a California beach community" ("Thou Shalt Not Command," US News and World Report, Nov. 18, 1996).
The US News article cited above suggests that people might be more receptive to these 10 (original) commandments if the negative and bossy language were removed and if a few creative loopholes were added. For example,
"Thou shalt not steal, but creative work with your tax return is OK."
"Thou shalt not kill, except during any of the trimesters or if the Pentagon says you must."
"Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's goods, except in the sense that our whole economic system depends on the power of envy and wanting more."
You get the idea. We as members of the Church of Jesus Christ have once again, almost by default, become the custodians of something sacred. We are the proponents and messengers of the Mt. Sinai covenant. We must declare by word and by example that these commandments are still in force and that there are divine, often eternal, penalties attached to the breaking of them.
"Cecil B. DeMille stated, after exhaustive research for the epic motion picture The Ten Commandments: 'We cannot break the Ten Commandments. We can only break ourselves against them'" (From a Commencement Address, Brigham Young University, 31 May 1957, p. 3. Cited by Thomas S. Monson, "In Quest of the Abundant Life," Ensign, Mar. 1988, 2).
I wish this part of lesson 14 were its own lesson. There are some wonderful insights for teaching to be found in these commandments, but, as I lack the time and the 10 are not a separate lesson, I will go on.
III. THE LORD INTRODUCES THE LAW OF MOSES.
As noted above in the passage from D&C 84, the Israelites refused the blessings of the eternal covenant. By their disobedience to the promises they themselves had made in Exodus 24:3,7, they forfeited their right to the blessings God wanted to give them.
The first cataclysmic revolution took place while Moses was on the Mount. He had been called up into Mt. Sinai in Ex. 24:12. According to 24:18 he stayed for 40 days, a time period recorded in Exodus 25-32. While he was there, terrible things happened in the camp below.
"And when the people saw that Moses delayed to come down out of the mount, the people gathered themselves together unto Aaron, and said unto him, Up, make us gods, which shall go before us; for as for this Moses, the man that brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we wot not what is become of him" (Ex. 32:1).
And Aaron did! (Ex. 32:2-6). What might he have been thinking. Clearly no one in our day would ever give up on a promise from God just because it came later than expected, would they? No one would marry out of the covenant because a worthy spouse did not show up soon enough, would they? No one would place personal integrity on the altar of profit because business success was too long in coming, would they? No one would postpone missionary opportunities because people willing to listen were to slow in appearing, would they? No one would misuse their procreative powers because waiting for the right time and place to marry would take too long, would they? No one would quit praying for a needed blessing because it did not come at the moment they wanted it, would they?
When the worshiping of the golden calf started, God told Moses to get down to the camp (Ex. 32:7-10). Moses went.
"And Moses turned, and went down from the mount, and the two tables of the testimony were in his hand: the tables were written on both their sides; on the one side and on the other were they written. And the tables were the work of God, and the writing was the writing of God, graven upon the tables" (Ex. 32:15,16).
Notice what Moses did when he saw his people worshiping a graven image.
"And it came to pass, as soon as he came nigh unto the camp, that he saw the calf, and the dancing: and Moses' anger waxed hot, and he cast the tables out of his hands, and brake them beneath the mount" (Ex. 32:19).
It was under these circumstances that Israel received the Law of Moses. It was not designed to replace the gospel laws they had already received. Its purpose was to give Israel
". . . a law of performances and of ordinances, a law which they were to observe strictly from day to day, to keep them in remembrance of God and their duty towards him" (Mosiah 13:30).
Notice the language of the JST regarding the new tablets of stone given to Moses.
"And the Lord said unto Moses, Hew thee two other tables of stone, like unto the first, and I will write upon them also, the words of the law, according as they were written at the first on the tables which thou brakest; but it shall not be according to the first, for I will take away the priesthood out of their midst; therefore my holy order, and the ordinances thereof, shall not go before them; for my presence shall not go up in their midst, lest I destroy them. But I will give unto them the law as at the first, but it shall be after the law of a carnal commandment; for I have sworn in my wrath, that they shall not enter into my presence, into my rest, in the days of their pilgrimage. Therefore do as I have commanded thee, and be ready in the morning, and come up in the morning unto mount Sinai, and present thyself there to me, in the top of the mount" (Ex. 34:1,2, JST).
Conclusion
I wrote a book entitled This Life is a Test. In the book I discussed several rules for understanding, taking, and passing the Test of Life. One of those rules was "Harder Versions of the Test are Available." The Law of Moses was a harder version of the Test. Thinking of it reminded me of a personal experience when I made things much harder than they needed to be.
"I was hurrying. My wife and I had made plans to attend a movie and if I did not move quickly, we would certainly be late. I had barely enough time to wash the car and then pick up the baby sitter. The children were in the car with me: Chris who was three and Debbie, who was nearly two. Since the sitter was a young lady they did not know, I thought I might facilitate the getting-acquainted process by having the three of them in the car while I drove home.
I pulled in at the self-serve car wash, rolled the windows up tightly, and stepped out of my new, 1971 Dodge Charger. I swung the driver's door shut and pushed the lock button as the door passed me. By the time the door thumped home, I knew I had made a mistake. The keys were still in the ignition. The children were still in the car.
I explained the problem to my son, and told him to pull up the lock button on the door. He tried. He really tried. But his little three-year-old fingers could not generate enough force to pull the knob up. The newness of the car and the smoothness of the plastic defeated him. Nor could he open the doors. They needed to be unlocked manually first.
I was frantic, now. I needed to get inside the vehicle and go get the baby sitter. But how? I knew that with a wire coat hanger, I might have some chance. But where would I find a coat hanger at a car wash? Without much hope I walked to a nearby garbage can and began to examine the contents. To my astonishment I found not one, but two hangers, discarded there, I was certain, by some inspired car-washer earlier in the day.
I unwound the hook from the rest of the hanger and forged a small loop to fit over the lock knob. Fashioning the hanger into a useful tool took some time. Then, using all my creativity, I forced the wire around the plastic molding of the door and into the passenger compartment. Finding a spot around the door where this could be done consumed more time. Then I discovered that I could not get the loop over the knob without help. But finally I made Chris understand what I needed and he moved the wire to the correct spot. I pulled sharply and the knob popped up.
Filled with relief, I glanced at my watch and realized that we were not going to get to the movie on time. "Well," I thought, "since we are late anyway, I might as well wash the car while I am here." I secured the keys as a hedge against children now fascinated with door locks, and deposited my quarters. I had been washing the car for about three minutes when my son waved for my attention. I bent over near his window to hear what he had to say, but the noise of the water made it difficult to understand him. "What?" I shouted, whereupon he rolled the window down and said, "Dad, I need to go to the bathroom" (Ted L. Gibbons, This Life is a Test, pp.106,107).
Old Testament: Lesson 14 (Exodus 15-20; 32-34)
by Ted L. Gibbons
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AUTHOR'S NOTE: This lesson will not follow precisely the format of the lesson in the manual for Gospel Doctrine. I want to provide some insights and background to the excellent material contained in the Church's publication. I hope it will help you in understanding what happened to Israel in the wilderness and at Mount Sinai.
Introduction
One of things the Children of Israel needed to learn was trust in the Lord. In Proverbs we read
"Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths" (Prov. 3:5,6).
Over and over again as Israel traveled from Egypt to Sinai, the Lord seemed to be saying, "Trust me." Actual trust is a precious commodity, one not to be given lightly. The older Alma taught,
"And also trust no one to be your teacher nor your minister, except he be a man of God, walking in his ways and keeping his commandments" (Mosiah 23:14 ).
The story that follows, given by Elder McKay in 1944, illustrates how important it is to find those you know you know you can trust.
"There is a story told that a company of botanists seeking some special flowers up in the Canadian Rockies, came one day to a very rare flower down on the side of a cliff. To reach it they would have to retrace their steps and go back ten miles to come up from the valley below. Someone suggested that if they had a rope they could let a boy down to pick the specimens. That suggestion was prompted by the fact that a little boy had been following them for about an hour, watching them silently.
They got the rope and said:
Here, lad, we'll give you $5 if you will put this rope around you and permit us to let you down to get those flowers.
Without saying a word the lad scampered off. They thought they had frightened him. He went to a house nearby and soon came back with a man by his side. Then the little fellow answered:
You may put that rope around me, and I'll get the flower, if you'll let my dad hold the rope" (Pres. David O. McKay, CR, Apr. 1944).
I. THE LORD TRIES TO TEACH ISRAEL TO TRUST HIM.
In these chapters, the Lord seems to be trying to teach Israel to trust him to "hold the rope." We will discuss the episodes leading to Mount Sinai with that in mind.
ONE
1. The Problem: (Exodus 14) We discussed this event in lesson 13. The Egyptian Army trapped the Israelites at the edge of the Red Sea.
2. Israel's Reaction: "And they said unto Moses, Because there were no graves in Egypt, hast thou taken us away to die in the wilderness? wherefore hast thou dealt thus with us, to carry us forth out of Egypt? Is not this the word that we did tell thee in Egypt, saying, Let us alone, that we may serve the Egyptians? For it had been better for us to serve the Egyptians, than that we should die in the wilderness" (Ex. 14:12 ,13).
3. The Lord's Solution: The sea was divided and the Egyptian Army destroyed.
4. The Lesson: Trust me to protect you.
TWO
1. The Problem: Bitter water "And when they came to Marah, they could not drink of the waters of Marah, for they were bitter: therefore the name of it was called Marah" (Ex. 15:23).
2. Israel's Reaction: "And the people murmured against Moses, saying, What shall we drink?" (Ex. 15:24).
3. The Lord's Solutions: (A) "And [Moses] cried unto the LORD; and the LORD shewed him a tree, which when he had cast into the waters, the waters were made sweet: there he made for them a statute and an ordinance, and there he proved them . . ." (Ex. 15:25 ).
(B) "And they came to Elim, where were twelve wells of water, and threescore and ten palm trees: and they encamped there by the waters" (Ex. 15:27 ).
4. The Lesson: I will help you meet your legitimate needs.
THREE
1. The Problem: Hunger ". . . ye have brought us forth into this wilderness, to kill this whole assembly with hunger" (Ex. 16:3).
2. Israel's Reaction: "And the whole congregation of the children of Israel murmured against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness: And the children of Israel said unto them, Would to God we had died by the hand of the LORD in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the flesh pots, and when we did eat bread to the full . . ." (Ex. 16:2,3).
3.The Lord's Solution: Manna "Then said the LORD unto Moses, Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you; and the people shall go out and gather a certain rate every day, that I may prove them, whether they will walk in my law, or no" (Ex. 16:4).
We ought to note that the purpose of the manna is not just to feed these people but to "prove them, whether they [would] walk in [the ] law, or no" (see Exodus 16:4). The nature of the instructions about manna suggest other lessons that were to be learned as well. It had to be gathered every day. It could not be stored except for the Sabbath.
"And thou shalt remember all the way which the LORD thy God led thee these forty years in the wilderness, to humble thee, and to prove thee, to know what was in thine heart, whether thou wouldest keep his commandments, or no. And he humbled thee, and suffered thee to hunger, and fed thee with manna, which thou knewest not, neither did thy fathers know; that he might make thee know that man doth not live by bread only, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the LORD doth man live" (Deut. 8:2,3).
4. The Lesson: Trust me every day. Feast on my word every day.
FOUR
1. The Problem: No water to drink "And all the congregation of the children of Israel journeyed from the wilderness of Sin, after their journeys, according to the commandment of the LORD, and pitched in Rephidim: and there was no water for the people to drink" (Ex. 17:1).
2. Israel's Reaction: "Wherefore the people did chide with Moses, and said, Give us water that we may drink. And Moses said unto them, Why chide ye with me? wherefore do ye tempt the LORD? And the people thirsted there for water; and the people murmured against Moses, and said, Wherefore is this that thou hast brought us up out of Egypt, to kill us and our children and our cattle with thirst? And Moses cried unto the LORD, saying, What shall I do unto this people? they be almost ready to stone me" (Ex. 17:2-4).
3. The Lord's Solution: Instead of showing Israel a tree or an oases, the Lord commanded Moses to bring water from solid rock!
"And the LORD said unto Moses, Go on before the people, and take with thee of the elders of Israel ; and thy rod, wherewith thou smotest the river, take in thine hand, and go. Behold, I will stand before thee there upon the rock in Horeb; and thou shalt smite the rock, and there shall come water out of it, that the people may drink. And Moses did so in the sight of the elders of Israel" (Ex 17:5,6).
4. The Lesson: Trust my leaders.
FIVE
1. The Problem: The Amalekites attack (Ex. 17:8).
2. Israel's Reaction: Israel prevails when Moses holds up the rod and the falter when he does not.
"And it came to pass, when Moses held up his hand, that Israel prevailed: and when he let down his hand, Amalek prevailed" (Ex. 17:11 ).
3. The Lord's Solution: "But Moses' hands were heavy; and they took a stone, and put it under him, and he sat thereon; and Aaron and Hur stayed up his hands, the one on the one side, and the other on the other side; and his hands were steady until the going down of the sun. And Joshua discomfited Amalek and his people with the edge of the sword" (Ex. 17:12 ,13).
4. The Lesson: Trust my leaders.
SIX
1. The Problem: "Moses sat to judge the people: and the people stood by Moses from the morning unto the evening . . . And Moses' father in law said unto him, The thing that thou doest is not good. Thou wilt surely wear away, both thou, and this people that is with thee: for this thing is too heavy for thee; thou art not able to perform it thyself alone" (Ex. 18:13 ,17,18).
2. Israel's Reaction: Israel must wait long periods for help and counsel and the people (and Moses) "wilt surely wear away" (see Ex. 18:18 ).
3. The Lord's Solution: "Moreover thou shalt provide out of all the people able men, such as fear God, men of truth, hating covetousness; and place such over them, to be rulers of thousands, and rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens: And let them judge the people at all seasons: and it shall be, that every great matter they shall bring unto thee, but every small matter they shall judge: so shall it be easier for thyself, and they shall bear the burden with thee" (Ex. 18:21,22).
4. The Lesson: Trust my leaders.
The passages in Exodus 18 mentioned above, in which Jethro teaches Moses about delegation, contain an interesting description of some of the things Prophets are supposed to do.
(18:15) "enquire of God"
(18:16) "judge between one and another"
(18:16) "make them know the statutes of God, and his laws"
(18:19) "Be thou for the people to God-ward, that thou mayest bring the causes unto God."
(18:20) "Teach them ordinances and laws"
(18:20) "Shew them the way wherein they must walk"
(18:20) "Shew them . . . the work that they must do."
(18:22) "Every great matter they shall bring to thee."
(19:17) "And Moses brought . . . the people . . . to meet with God"
The Lord taught the Israelites the importance of following Moses one more time at Mount Sinai. He instructed Moses to prepare the people to meet with him, and then said:
"Lo, I come unto thee in a thick cloud, that the people may hear when I speak with thee, and believe thee for ever. And Moses told the words of the people unto the LORD" (Ex. 198:9).
II. THE LORD MEETS WITH MOSES ON MOUNT SINAI AND GIVES ISRAEL THE TEN COMMANDMENTS.
Some have supposed that the 10 Commandments were given to Moses, and that he then gave them to Israel. The scriptural account is pretty clear that it did not happen in just that way. Note the promise God made in Exodus 19:9: "That the people may hear with I speak with thee."
In Exodus 20:1, we are told that God "spake all these words . . ." In Exodus 20:22, after declaring the 10 Commandments, the Lord says, "You have seen that I have talked with you from heaven."
In Deuteronomy 5:4 Moses reminds Israel that "The LORD talked with you face to face in the mount out of the midst of the fire . . ." In Deuteronomy 5:23,24 we read
"And it came to pass, when ye heard the voice out of the midst of the darkness, (for the mountain did burn with fire,) that ye came near unto me, even all the heads of your tribes, and your elders; And ye said, Behold, the LORD our God hath shewed us his glory and his greatness, and we have heard his voice out of the midst of the fire: we have seen this day that God doth talk with man, and he liveth."
Also please note that the 10 Commandments and the three chapters that follow (Exodus 21-23) are part of an eternal gospel covenant, and not part of the Law of Moses. Moses' desire was to prepare the people to see God.
"Now this Moses plainly taught to the children of Israel in the wilderness, and sought diligently to sanctify his people that they might behold the face of God; But they hardened their hearts and could not endure his presence; therefore, the Lord in his wrath, for his anger was kindled against them, swore that they should not enter into his rest while in the wilderness, which rest is the fulness of his glory. Therefore, he took Moses out of their midst, and the Holy Priesthood also . . ." (D&C 84:23-25).
When the Lord had finished giving the instructions in these chapters, the people made a covenant:
"And Moses came and told the people all the words of the LORD, and all the judgments: and all the people answered with one voice, and said, All the words which the LORD hath said will we do" (Ex. 24:3).
A few verses later they said (again): "All that the LORD hath said will we do, and be obedient" (Ex. 24:7).
Some of the Israelites actually did see God.
"Then went up Moses, and Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel: And they saw the God of Israel: and there was under his feet as it were a paved work of a sapphire stone, and as it were the body of heaven in his clearness. And upon the nobles of the children of Israel he laid not his hand: also they saw God, and did eat and drink" (Ex. 24:9-11).
It was after all of this that Moses went into the mount and received the tables of stone with these laws written on them (see Ex. 24:12).
There are still a great many who accept and attempt to abide by the Ten Commandments, but there are a great many who do not. We live in a day when commandments are not generally well-received.
"In his book The 2nd Ten Commandments, Orion Moshe Kopelman says the original set of 10 is an outmoded, uncultural guide. The first of his new multi-cultural, world-wide commandments is "Maximize your time spent in flow and happiness." This rule may not make a lot of sense to people in southern Sudan or Kerala, unless they keep up with theories of personal growth or have spent some time in a California beach community" ("Thou Shalt Not Command," US News and World Report, Nov. 18, 1996).
The US News article cited above suggests that people might be more receptive to these 10 (original) commandments if the negative and bossy language were removed and if a few creative loopholes were added. For example,
"Thou shalt not steal, but creative work with your tax return is OK."
"Thou shalt not kill, except during any of the trimesters or if the Pentagon says you must."
"Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's goods, except in the sense that our whole economic system depends on the power of envy and wanting more."
You get the idea. We as members of the Church of Jesus Christ have once again, almost by default, become the custodians of something sacred. We are the proponents and messengers of the Mt. Sinai covenant. We must declare by word and by example that these commandments are still in force and that there are divine, often eternal, penalties attached to the breaking of them.
"Cecil B. DeMille stated, after exhaustive research for the epic motion picture The Ten Commandments: 'We cannot break the Ten Commandments. We can only break ourselves against them'" (From a Commencement Address, Brigham Young University, 31 May 1957, p. 3. Cited by Thomas S. Monson, "In Quest of the Abundant Life," Ensign, Mar. 1988, 2).
I wish this part of lesson 14 were its own lesson. There are some wonderful insights for teaching to be found in these commandments, but, as I lack the time and the 10 are not a separate lesson, I will go on.
III. THE LORD INTRODUCES THE LAW OF MOSES.
As noted above in the passage from D&C 84, the Israelites refused the blessings of the eternal covenant. By their disobedience to the promises they themselves had made in Exodus 24:3,7, they forfeited their right to the blessings God wanted to give them.
The first cataclysmic revolution took place while Moses was on the Mount. He had been called up into Mt. Sinai in Ex. 24:12. According to 24:18 he stayed for 40 days, a time period recorded in Exodus 25-32. While he was there, terrible things happened in the camp below.
"And when the people saw that Moses delayed to come down out of the mount, the people gathered themselves together unto Aaron, and said unto him, Up, make us gods, which shall go before us; for as for this Moses, the man that brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we wot not what is become of him" (Ex. 32:1).
And Aaron did! (Ex. 32:2-6). What might he have been thinking. Clearly no one in our day would ever give up on a promise from God just because it came later than expected, would they? No one would marry out of the covenant because a worthy spouse did not show up soon enough, would they? No one would place personal integrity on the altar of profit because business success was too long in coming, would they? No one would postpone missionary opportunities because people willing to listen were to slow in appearing, would they? No one would misuse their procreative powers because waiting for the right time and place to marry would take too long, would they? No one would quit praying for a needed blessing because it did not come at the moment they wanted it, would they?
When the worshiping of the golden calf started, God told Moses to get down to the camp (Ex. 32:7-10). Moses went.
"And Moses turned, and went down from the mount, and the two tables of the testimony were in his hand: the tables were written on both their sides; on the one side and on the other were they written. And the tables were the work of God, and the writing was the writing of God, graven upon the tables" (Ex. 32:15,16).
Notice what Moses did when he saw his people worshiping a graven image.
"And it came to pass, as soon as he came nigh unto the camp, that he saw the calf, and the dancing: and Moses' anger waxed hot, and he cast the tables out of his hands, and brake them beneath the mount" (Ex. 32:19).
It was under these circumstances that Israel received the Law of Moses. It was not designed to replace the gospel laws they had already received. Its purpose was to give Israel
". . . a law of performances and of ordinances, a law which they were to observe strictly from day to day, to keep them in remembrance of God and their duty towards him" (Mosiah 13:30).
Notice the language of the JST regarding the new tablets of stone given to Moses.
"And the Lord said unto Moses, Hew thee two other tables of stone, like unto the first, and I will write upon them also, the words of the law, according as they were written at the first on the tables which thou brakest; but it shall not be according to the first, for I will take away the priesthood out of their midst; therefore my holy order, and the ordinances thereof, shall not go before them; for my presence shall not go up in their midst, lest I destroy them. But I will give unto them the law as at the first, but it shall be after the law of a carnal commandment; for I have sworn in my wrath, that they shall not enter into my presence, into my rest, in the days of their pilgrimage. Therefore do as I have commanded thee, and be ready in the morning, and come up in the morning unto mount Sinai, and present thyself there to me, in the top of the mount" (Ex. 34:1,2, JST).
Conclusion
I wrote a book entitled This Life is a Test. In the book I discussed several rules for understanding, taking, and passing the Test of Life. One of those rules was "Harder Versions of the Test are Available." The Law of Moses was a harder version of the Test. Thinking of it reminded me of a personal experience when I made things much harder than they needed to be.
"I was hurrying. My wife and I had made plans to attend a movie and if I did not move quickly, we would certainly be late. I had barely enough time to wash the car and then pick up the baby sitter. The children were in the car with me: Chris who was three and Debbie, who was nearly two. Since the sitter was a young lady they did not know, I thought I might facilitate the getting-acquainted process by having the three of them in the car while I drove home.
I pulled in at the self-serve car wash, rolled the windows up tightly, and stepped out of my new, 1971 Dodge Charger. I swung the driver's door shut and pushed the lock button as the door passed me. By the time the door thumped home, I knew I had made a mistake. The keys were still in the ignition. The children were still in the car.
I explained the problem to my son, and told him to pull up the lock button on the door. He tried. He really tried. But his little three-year-old fingers could not generate enough force to pull the knob up. The newness of the car and the smoothness of the plastic defeated him. Nor could he open the doors. They needed to be unlocked manually first.
I was frantic, now. I needed to get inside the vehicle and go get the baby sitter. But how? I knew that with a wire coat hanger, I might have some chance. But where would I find a coat hanger at a car wash? Without much hope I walked to a nearby garbage can and began to examine the contents. To my astonishment I found not one, but two hangers, discarded there, I was certain, by some inspired car-washer earlier in the day.
I unwound the hook from the rest of the hanger and forged a small loop to fit over the lock knob. Fashioning the hanger into a useful tool took some time. Then, using all my creativity, I forced the wire around the plastic molding of the door and into the passenger compartment. Finding a spot around the door where this could be done consumed more time. Then I discovered that I could not get the loop over the knob without help. But finally I made Chris understand what I needed and he moved the wire to the correct spot. I pulled sharply and the knob popped up.
Filled with relief, I glanced at my watch and realized that we were not going to get to the movie on time. "Well," I thought, "since we are late anyway, I might as well wash the car while I am here." I secured the keys as a hedge against children now fascinated with door locks, and deposited my quarters. I had been washing the car for about three minutes when my son waved for my attention. I bent over near his window to hear what he had to say, but the noise of the water made it difficult to understand him. "What?" I shouted, whereupon he rolled the window down and said, "Dad, I need to go to the bathroom" (Ted L. Gibbons, This Life is a Test, pp.106,107).
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
“Bondage, Passover, and Exodus”
“Bondage, Passover, and Exodus”
Lesson 13, Gospel Doctrine, compiled by Maren Hale
Reading: Exodus 1-2; 5-6; 11-4
Board: The Lord provides us with the light of the gospel and voice of prophecy so we can find our way safely back into His presence.
INTRODUCTION
The story of the Exodus is a story of deliverance through the power of God. The liberation of Israel from Egyptian bondage is parallel to our own deliverance from the consequences of sin through the process of faith, repentance, baptism, and the gift of the Holy Ghost.
Today’s lesson is about one of the most dramatic rescues that has ever occurred – the deliverance of the Children of Israel from the plague of death and from Egyptian slavery. In many ways this rescue symbolizes an even greater rescue – our deliverance from sin and death through the Savior’s atoning sacrifice.
BODY
The Lord Calls Moses
In Exodus 1, the Children of Israel multiply and are strong even in their slavery. Pharaoh tells the midwives to kill any male babies, but the midwives feared God more than Pharaoh and the people multiplied.
Moses is born to Levite parents and is hid for 3 months. Then his Mother puts him in “an arc of bulrushes” by the river’s bank and his sister kept watch over him.
The daughter of Pharoah came to wash and had compassion on Moses and said, “This is one of the Hebrew’s children.” The Lord softened her heart and she raised
Moses as her son with Moses’ mother as his nurse maid.
When Moses was grown, he saw an Egyptian smiting a Hebrew.
QUESTION: What does Moses do? [Slays the Egyptian, hides him in the sand. The death is discovered and Moses flees to Midian.]
QUESTION: Do you think Moses knew who he was? [Yes – His Mother had the opportunity to teach him. She was a woman of faith and courage and she instilled in Moses those traits.]
Moses then marries Zipporah and she bore Gershom.
SCRIPTURE: Exodus 2: 23-25
23. And it came to pass in process of time, that the king of Egypt died: and the children of Israel sighed by reason of the bondage, and they cried, and their cry came up unto God by reason of the bondage.
24. And God heard their groaning, and God remembered his covenant with Abraham, and with Isaac, and with Jacob.
25. And God looked upon the children of Israel, and God had respect unto them.
[God heard the Iraelites’.]
God hears our prayers (The prayer of faith)
Just as the Lord heard the cries of ancient Israel suffering from bondage, He will also listen to our sincere prayers for strength and guidance to overcome the challenges of mortality and lead us out of bondage to spiritual well-being.
EXPERIENCE: Brother in Prison
When we lived in Germany, our stake president told us about an experience he had with an LDS American businessman who had been imprisoned in Germany for fraud.
President Mourik visited him in Prison and learned that the fraud had been committed by this brother’s partner who had lied, stolen, and fled Germany. This brother was left “holding the bag” and was given a prison sentence. President Mourik brought him a Book of Mormon and made a practice of visiting him throughout his incarceration.
When this brother was released from prison, he went to visit President Mourik in his office. President Mourik told the brother how sorry he was that he had to go through this terrible experience of being in prison.
The brother told President Mourik not to mourn for him. He said that he had turned to the Book of Mormon and prayer throughout his sentence, and said that he had been visited by the Savior during his bondage.
He said that he had come to deeply know and love the Savior. He told President Mourik that he was grateful for this opportunity in prison to come to know and love the Savior.
Even through this very difficult trial, this brother chose to draw near to the Lord and be strengthened by him. The testimony he had gained before his ordeal gave him strength and he was further nurtured in prison as he sought out the Lord and His Spirit.
Heber C. Kimball tells us that we need to build our own testimonies right now.
Quote #1, Heber C. Kimball: “The time will come when no man nor woman will be able to endure on borrowed light. Each will have to be guided by the light within himself. If you do not have it, how can you stand?” (Life of Heber C. Kimball, p. 450)
In Exodus 3 we read of the great trials that were upon the Children of Israel as slaves to the Egyptians. Let’s read the Lord’s words regarding them in Exodus 3:7.
SCRIPTURE: Exodus 3:7
“I have surely seen the affliction of my people which are in Egypt, and have heard their cry by reason of their taskmasters; for I know their sorrows.”
We know that through the Atonement, Jesus Christ became fully and painfully aware of all our sorrows.
After the deaths of Joseph and Pharaoh, the Israelites began to suffer under successor regimes. Their burdens became heavy, their oppression painful. They cried to the Lord for relief, and He heard their prayers and intervened to bring a new situation into their lives and redress the wrongs that had befallen them. (Teaching and Commentary on the Old Testament, Ed J. Pinegar and Richard J. Allen, pp. 351-2)
We can also cry unto the Lord. Prayer can have a great power in our lives.
Quote #2, President James E. Faust: “Of all that we might do to find solace, prayer is perhaps the most comforting. We are instructed to pray to the Father in the name of his Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, by the power of the Holy Ghost. The very act of praying to God is satisfying to the soul, even though God, in his wisdom, may not give what we ask for. President Harold B. Lee taught us that all of our prayers are answered, but sometimes the Lord says no. The Prophet Joseph Smith taught that the ‘best way to obtain truth and wisdom’ is ‘to go to God in prayer.’ Prayer is most helpful in the healing process. (Finding Light in a Dark World, p. 30-31)
Divine calling/divine power (We, too, receive callings in the Church.)
Then the Lord called Moses to deliver Israel.
Exodus 3:11-12
11. And Moses said unto God, Who am I, that I should go unto Pharaoh, and that I should bring forth the children of Israel out of Egypt?
12. And he said, Certainly I will be with thee; and this shall be a token unto thee, that I have sent thee: When thou hast brought forth the people out of Egypt, ye shall serve God upon this mountain.
Moses is apprehensive about his abilities: “Whom am I, that I should go unto Pharaoh, and that I should bring forth the children of Israel out of Egypt?”
But the Lord tells Moses he will be with him and gives him courage: “Certainly I will be with thee.”
When the Lord extends a calling, He supplies the power and guidance to carry it out.
EXPERIENCE: Early Church callings – Maren Hale
The Lord has a way of calling us to responsibilities in His kingdom that always stretch us and improve or develop our talents. I remember my first calling as a teenager was to be the chorister in Sunday School. I had 15 minutes to help the congregation learn a new hymn. I had to learn to lead music, to memorize many verses of our hymns, and to feel comfortable on the stand in front of everyone.
The skill of leading music has been useful to me throughout my life.
Soon after that, I was called as the Junior Sunday School pianist (Primary). I could play the piano by ear, but sight reading the songs was a real struggle for me. I had faith that if I accepted that calling, with the Lord’s help he would help me through that ordeal. I can’t say that I’ve improved a great deal in sight reading through my life, but the Lord helped me through my assignment at Church.
I was called in college to help set up the Latter-day Saint Student Association on the University of Utah campus. I was petrified, but with the guidance of the institute administrator, Brother Christensen, I managed. Through this calling I learned how to organize.
When Forrest and I were newlyweds in a student ward in Salt Lake, I was called to organize and produce a ward dinner and activity night. This experience taught me delegate. Then in the Berkeley married student ward, I was called to be the “flower coordinator.” Now they had to find a calling for everyone, so I had to find “free” flowers for our sacrament meetings each week. For a shyer person like me, this was especially challenging. This unusual calling helped me to be more bold.
These first callings in my life may seem simple to me now, but at the time, I was very apprehensive and worried. I had learned from my parents to accept Church callings. Then I learned for myself that accepting callings helped me to grow, depend on the Lord, and prepared me for future service in the Church and in my family.
QUESTION: What callings have you had that have frightened you? Perhaps you were a convert and given your first calling. Please share some of your experiences.
President Monson gives us counsel on how we will be able to fulfill our callings:
Quote #3, President Thomas S. Monson: “When we come to the temple let us come with the spirit of prayer, with the sprit of inquiry, with the spirit of acquiescence to the Spirit of the Lord and He will give us the power to fill any position that comes to us. He who the Lord calls, the Lord qualifies.” (“A New Temple Is Dedicated,” LDS Church News, September 1, 1990)
President Monson suggests we go to the temple for strength.
President Gordon B. Hinckley: “We are here to assist our Father in His work and His glory, ‘to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man’ (Moses 1:39). Your obligation is as serious in your sphere of responsibility as is my obligation my sphere. No calling in this church is small or of little consequence. All of us in the pursuit of our duty, touch the lives of others.
“To each of us in our respective responsibilities the Lord has said: “Wherefore, be faithful; stand in the office which I have appointed unto you; succor the weak, lift up the hands which hang down, and strengthen the feeble knees’ (D&C 81:5). ‘And in doing these things thou wilt do the greatest good unto thy fellow beings, and wilt promote the glory of him who is your Lord’ (D&C 81:4)…
President Hinckley continues: “You have as great an opportunity for satisfaction in the performance of your duty as I do in mine. The progress of this work will be determined by our joint efforts. Whatever your calling, it is as fraught with the same kind of opportunity to accomplish good as is mine. What is really important is that this is the work of the Master. Our work is to go about doing good as did He.” (“This Is the Work of the Master,” Ensign, May 1995, p. 71)
Freedom and the Atonement (Bringing about the effects of the Atonement through obedience.)
Just as the Lord liberated the captive Israelites from Egyptian bondage, He has also put in place the saving truths, ordinances, and powers to bless our lives with redeeming grace through the Atonement of Jesus Christ.
SCRIPTURE: Exodus 5:1
1. And afterward Moses and Aaron went in, and told Pharaoh, Thus saith the Lord God of Israel, Let my people go, that they may hold a feast unto me in the wilderness.
“The historical Israelite deliverance and exodus is a pattern for the journey of liberation that each of us must complete as we accomplish our ‘exodus’ from the bondage of sin and worldly entanglements toward a state of spiritual freedom.
“The Journey toward the Promised Land is symbolic of our passage toward Zion, where we can raise our families in truth and light, and taste the joys of the gospel through obedience and righteousness. Just as the Lord liberated Israel through the shedding of the blood of the firstborn of the Egyptians, so he liberated us through the shedding of blood of His Only Begotten, that we might not perish, but have everlasting life.
“The consequences of sin pass over us through the process of faith, repentance, baptism, and the gift of the Holy Ghost.” (Teachings and Commentary on the Old Testament, Ed J. Pinegar and Richard J. Allen, p. 356)
In Exodus 11 and 12, we read of the plague that was brought upon the Egyptians, but Pharaoh’s heart remained hardened. Then Moses gave instructions from the Lord for the Passover, and the Children of Israel are let go.
QUESTION: What was the Passover? [President Joseph Fielding Smith tell us:]
Quote #4, President Joseph Fielding Smith: “The Passover was a law given…to remind the children of Israel of the coming of Christ who would become the sacrificial Lamb. After he was crucified the law was changed by the Savior himself, and from that time forth the law of the sacrament was instituted. We now observe the law of the sacrament instead of the Passover because the Passover was consummated in full by the death of Jesus Christ.” (Answers to Gospel Questions, 5:153:154)
The Passover gives us a rich understanding and appreciation of the Atonement.
The Passover symbolized and embodied the future sacrifice of our Lord and
Savior Jesus Christ (2 Nephi 11:4).
Symbolizes:
The firstborn male lamb The Only Begotten Son
The blood of the lamb saved. That the blood of the Lord purified the
faithful Israelites.
No bones to be broken. As with the Lord (John 19:31-36)
Partake of unleavened bread. The bread of life. As we partake of Him
(taking His name upon us), we can be
purified.
This bread couldn’t spoil or mold. A repentance and purified person.
Partake in haste That we need to respond
enthusiastically to the offer of the Lord.
“The children of Israel were in slavery; Egypt held them in bondage. Likewise, we are in slavery and bondage to Satan because of sin. When the final plague was instituted during the Passover, the firstborn sons of Pharaoh and the Egyptians were taken and Israel was granted its freedom. We, likewise, are made free by the atoning blood of the Lord Jesus Christ.” (Teachings and Commentary on the Old Testament, Ed J. Pinegar and Richard J. Allen, pp. 357-358)
Quote #5, President Lorenzo Snow: "It appears that the children of Israel…were not very well acquainted with the Lord, or with His ability to carry out His purposes. They, however, had not the opportunities of becoming acquainted with Him, as have the Latter-day Saints. They had seen some of the works of the Lord wrought in the presence of the Egyptians as well as in their own presence; but their hearts had not been touched, neither had their understandings been enlightened by the intelligence of the Holy Spirit, as has been the case with the Latter-day Saints; and therefore, when they were brought to face the Red Sea, which, to all human appearance, was impassable, and with the armies of the Egyptians pressing close upon them, their hearts failed them." (Journal of Discourses, 23:150)
President Gordon B. Hinckley: “I cannot be grateful enough for the Atonement wrought by my Savior and my Redeemer. Through His sacrifice at the culmination of a life of perfection – that sacrifice offered in pain unspeakable – the bonds of death were broken, and the resurrection of all became assured. Beyond this, the doors of celestial glory have been opened to all who will accept divine truth and obey its precepts.” (“My Testimony,” Ensign, November 1993, p. 52)
Remember the Covenant (Particularly the sacrament)
Just as the Lord remembered His covenant promises to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, by delivering Israel, so must we show through our daily obedience that we remember His goodness and honor His commandments.
SCRIPTURE: Exodus 13:3
13. And Moses said unto the people, Remember this day, in which ye came out from Egypt, out of the house of bondage; for by strength of hand the Lord brought you out from this place: there shall be no leavened bread be eaten.”
In this scripture we are reminded about our constant need to show gratitude to our Father in Heaven for the prayers that have been answered through many blessings.
We can show our gratitude for the Savior by remembering him as we partake of the sacrament.
Quote #6, Elder Jeffrey R. Holland: "Do we see [the sacrament] as our passover, this ordinance commemorating our safety and deliverance and redemption?
"With so very much at stake, this ordinance commemorating our escape from the angel of darkness should be taken more seriously than it sometimes is. It should be a powerful, reverent, reflective moment. It should encourage spiritual feelings and impressions." (Ensign, Nov. 1995, p. 68)
Quote #7, President Joseph Fielding Smith: “Partaking of the sacrament is one of the most sacred ordinances given to the Church. It is given in order that we may be brought in closer communion with the spirit of the Lord and thus renew three most sacred covenants. They are first, that we will take upon us the name of Jesus Christ; second, that we will always remember him; third, that we will always keep his commandments which he has given us. We are promised if we will dot this that we will be blessed with the constant companionship of his spirit. If we have violated any one of these covenants, then there should be sincere repentance through which we receive forgiveness of the Church before we partake of the sacrament.” (Answers to Gospel Questions, 1:85)
“King Benjamin taught that as we come to a knowledge of the glory of God, and have tasted of His love and received a remission of our sins, we should always
Remember the greatness of God and His goodness and long-suffering toward us, and we should humble ourselves and call upon His name daily.
“He promised if we will do this we will always rejoice and be filled with the love of God, and retain a remission of our sins; and we will grow in the knowledge of God and of that which is just and true (Mosiah 4:12).” (Teachings and Commentary on the Old Testament, Ed J. Pinegar and Richard J. Allen, p. 359)
Guiding ligh of the gospel (The Holy Spirit nourishes and guides us.)
The Lord provided means to guide the Israelites in their journey out of Egypt. Similarly, He provides for us the light of the gospel and the voice of prophecy so we might find our way safely back into His presence.
SCRIPTURE: Exodus 13:21
21. And the Lord went before them by day in a pillar of a cloud, to lead them the way; and by night in a pillar of fire, to give them light.
The Lord supplied miraculous means for marking the path of liberation and showing the Israelites the way to safety. He had Moses part the Red Sea for their escape! No less miraculous are His blessings to us today, leading us from one milestone to the next in our journey for spiritual liberation.
QUESTION: What have we been given to light the path showing us the way to spiritual safety?
● Scriptures – Book of Mormon
● The voice of living prophets
● The priesthood to provide authorized ordinances and salvation
● The sealing ordinances of the temple
● The Holy Spirit to illuminate our souls
● Our families
The voice of living prophets have again given us counsel and inspiration that show us the way to spiritual safety.
QUESTION: What counsel from conference touched you last week?
EXPERIENCE: Raising children in these difficult times
I visited with one of my daughters recently, and she mentioned the need she felt for guidance in General Conference on how to raise her children in these difficult times. If I had to pick one theme I felt during conference it was “How to Raise Righteous Families.”
I loved Elder Ballard’s counsel to mothers and daughters. He told the young women to “Look to your faithful mothers for a pattern to follow. Model yourselves after them, not after celebrities whose standards are not the Lord’s standards…Listen to her…trust her…be kind to her.”
To the mothers he said, “If the mother’s are thrifty so are their daughters. If the mothers are modest, so are their girls. If the mothers wear flip flops and other causal clothing to sacrament meeting, so do their daughters.” He told them that the world openly embraces casual promiscuity and immodesty. Elder Ballard said, “You need to have frequent, open discussions during which you teach your daughters the truth about these issues…teach them how to repent and how to remain pure and worthy.”
Truly the Lord is aware of our concerns and delights in guiding us as we raise our families.
President Spencer W. Kimball gives an example of how the Holy Ghost gives counsel and inspiration:
Quote #8, President Spencer W. Kimball: “President Heber J. Grant related an example of the revelations of the Lord to him. For twenty-two years he had felt the inspiration of the living God directing him in his labors. He wrote: ‘From the day that I chose a comparative stranger [Melvin J. Ballard] to be one of the apostles, instead of my lifelong and dearest living friend, I have known as I know that I live, that I am entitled to the light and the inspiration and the guidance of God in directing His work here upon the earth.” (Teachings of Spencer W. Kimball, p. 448)
In families we help each other maintain a spiritual safety. We should remain ever vigilant and strong so that Satan will not have power over us and take us from spiritual safety.
Quote #9, President Joseph Fielding Smith: “It should be remembered that Satan has great knowledge and thereby can exercise authority and to some extent the elements, when some greater power does not intervene.” (Answers to Gospel Questions, 1:176-78)
A greater power did intervene and Moses led the Children of Israel through the Red Sea and the people believed.
SCRIPTURE: Exodus 14:14
15. And the Lord said unto Moses, Wherefore criest thou unto me? Speak unto the children of Israel that they go forward.
16. But lift thou up thy rod, and stretch out thine hand over the sea, and divide it: and the children of Israel shall go on dry ground through the midst of the sea.
CONCLUSION
“From the scriptural account of the Exodus, we renew our acquaintance with the miraculous way the Lord delivered Israel from bondage through the leadership of a great prophet.
“Similarly, we can be delivered from the bondage of…sin through the redemption of Jesus Christ.
“The process of deliverance is simple and straightforward.
“Our Heavenly Father hears our sincere prayers of faith and declares His will through the scriptures and the words of living prophets.
“Through obedience to the principles of the gospel, and through the saving ordinances administered by authorized priesthood leaders, we are blessed with the effects of the Atonement in our lives.
Partaking of the sacrament allows us to renew our covenants and our commitment to obedience.” (Teachings and Commentary on the Old Testament, Ed J. Pinegar and Richard J. Allen, p.363)
I am thankful for this great story of Moses and the Exodus of the Children of Israel.
I know that it was through the power of God that they were delivered.
I pray that through our obedience each of us will delivered and return to our Father in Heaven.
Lesson 13, Gospel Doctrine, compiled by Maren Hale
Reading: Exodus 1-2; 5-6; 11-4
Board: The Lord provides us with the light of the gospel and voice of prophecy so we can find our way safely back into His presence.
INTRODUCTION
The story of the Exodus is a story of deliverance through the power of God. The liberation of Israel from Egyptian bondage is parallel to our own deliverance from the consequences of sin through the process of faith, repentance, baptism, and the gift of the Holy Ghost.
Today’s lesson is about one of the most dramatic rescues that has ever occurred – the deliverance of the Children of Israel from the plague of death and from Egyptian slavery. In many ways this rescue symbolizes an even greater rescue – our deliverance from sin and death through the Savior’s atoning sacrifice.
BODY
The Lord Calls Moses
In Exodus 1, the Children of Israel multiply and are strong even in their slavery. Pharaoh tells the midwives to kill any male babies, but the midwives feared God more than Pharaoh and the people multiplied.
Moses is born to Levite parents and is hid for 3 months. Then his Mother puts him in “an arc of bulrushes” by the river’s bank and his sister kept watch over him.
The daughter of Pharoah came to wash and had compassion on Moses and said, “This is one of the Hebrew’s children.” The Lord softened her heart and she raised
Moses as her son with Moses’ mother as his nurse maid.
When Moses was grown, he saw an Egyptian smiting a Hebrew.
QUESTION: What does Moses do? [Slays the Egyptian, hides him in the sand. The death is discovered and Moses flees to Midian.]
QUESTION: Do you think Moses knew who he was? [Yes – His Mother had the opportunity to teach him. She was a woman of faith and courage and she instilled in Moses those traits.]
Moses then marries Zipporah and she bore Gershom.
SCRIPTURE: Exodus 2: 23-25
23. And it came to pass in process of time, that the king of Egypt died: and the children of Israel sighed by reason of the bondage, and they cried, and their cry came up unto God by reason of the bondage.
24. And God heard their groaning, and God remembered his covenant with Abraham, and with Isaac, and with Jacob.
25. And God looked upon the children of Israel, and God had respect unto them.
[God heard the Iraelites’.]
God hears our prayers (The prayer of faith)
Just as the Lord heard the cries of ancient Israel suffering from bondage, He will also listen to our sincere prayers for strength and guidance to overcome the challenges of mortality and lead us out of bondage to spiritual well-being.
EXPERIENCE: Brother in Prison
When we lived in Germany, our stake president told us about an experience he had with an LDS American businessman who had been imprisoned in Germany for fraud.
President Mourik visited him in Prison and learned that the fraud had been committed by this brother’s partner who had lied, stolen, and fled Germany. This brother was left “holding the bag” and was given a prison sentence. President Mourik brought him a Book of Mormon and made a practice of visiting him throughout his incarceration.
When this brother was released from prison, he went to visit President Mourik in his office. President Mourik told the brother how sorry he was that he had to go through this terrible experience of being in prison.
The brother told President Mourik not to mourn for him. He said that he had turned to the Book of Mormon and prayer throughout his sentence, and said that he had been visited by the Savior during his bondage.
He said that he had come to deeply know and love the Savior. He told President Mourik that he was grateful for this opportunity in prison to come to know and love the Savior.
Even through this very difficult trial, this brother chose to draw near to the Lord and be strengthened by him. The testimony he had gained before his ordeal gave him strength and he was further nurtured in prison as he sought out the Lord and His Spirit.
Heber C. Kimball tells us that we need to build our own testimonies right now.
Quote #1, Heber C. Kimball: “The time will come when no man nor woman will be able to endure on borrowed light. Each will have to be guided by the light within himself. If you do not have it, how can you stand?” (Life of Heber C. Kimball, p. 450)
In Exodus 3 we read of the great trials that were upon the Children of Israel as slaves to the Egyptians. Let’s read the Lord’s words regarding them in Exodus 3:7.
SCRIPTURE: Exodus 3:7
“I have surely seen the affliction of my people which are in Egypt, and have heard their cry by reason of their taskmasters; for I know their sorrows.”
We know that through the Atonement, Jesus Christ became fully and painfully aware of all our sorrows.
After the deaths of Joseph and Pharaoh, the Israelites began to suffer under successor regimes. Their burdens became heavy, their oppression painful. They cried to the Lord for relief, and He heard their prayers and intervened to bring a new situation into their lives and redress the wrongs that had befallen them. (Teaching and Commentary on the Old Testament, Ed J. Pinegar and Richard J. Allen, pp. 351-2)
We can also cry unto the Lord. Prayer can have a great power in our lives.
Quote #2, President James E. Faust: “Of all that we might do to find solace, prayer is perhaps the most comforting. We are instructed to pray to the Father in the name of his Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, by the power of the Holy Ghost. The very act of praying to God is satisfying to the soul, even though God, in his wisdom, may not give what we ask for. President Harold B. Lee taught us that all of our prayers are answered, but sometimes the Lord says no. The Prophet Joseph Smith taught that the ‘best way to obtain truth and wisdom’ is ‘to go to God in prayer.’ Prayer is most helpful in the healing process. (Finding Light in a Dark World, p. 30-31)
Divine calling/divine power (We, too, receive callings in the Church.)
Then the Lord called Moses to deliver Israel.
Exodus 3:11-12
11. And Moses said unto God, Who am I, that I should go unto Pharaoh, and that I should bring forth the children of Israel out of Egypt?
12. And he said, Certainly I will be with thee; and this shall be a token unto thee, that I have sent thee: When thou hast brought forth the people out of Egypt, ye shall serve God upon this mountain.
Moses is apprehensive about his abilities: “Whom am I, that I should go unto Pharaoh, and that I should bring forth the children of Israel out of Egypt?”
But the Lord tells Moses he will be with him and gives him courage: “Certainly I will be with thee.”
When the Lord extends a calling, He supplies the power and guidance to carry it out.
EXPERIENCE: Early Church callings – Maren Hale
The Lord has a way of calling us to responsibilities in His kingdom that always stretch us and improve or develop our talents. I remember my first calling as a teenager was to be the chorister in Sunday School. I had 15 minutes to help the congregation learn a new hymn. I had to learn to lead music, to memorize many verses of our hymns, and to feel comfortable on the stand in front of everyone.
The skill of leading music has been useful to me throughout my life.
Soon after that, I was called as the Junior Sunday School pianist (Primary). I could play the piano by ear, but sight reading the songs was a real struggle for me. I had faith that if I accepted that calling, with the Lord’s help he would help me through that ordeal. I can’t say that I’ve improved a great deal in sight reading through my life, but the Lord helped me through my assignment at Church.
I was called in college to help set up the Latter-day Saint Student Association on the University of Utah campus. I was petrified, but with the guidance of the institute administrator, Brother Christensen, I managed. Through this calling I learned how to organize.
When Forrest and I were newlyweds in a student ward in Salt Lake, I was called to organize and produce a ward dinner and activity night. This experience taught me delegate. Then in the Berkeley married student ward, I was called to be the “flower coordinator.” Now they had to find a calling for everyone, so I had to find “free” flowers for our sacrament meetings each week. For a shyer person like me, this was especially challenging. This unusual calling helped me to be more bold.
These first callings in my life may seem simple to me now, but at the time, I was very apprehensive and worried. I had learned from my parents to accept Church callings. Then I learned for myself that accepting callings helped me to grow, depend on the Lord, and prepared me for future service in the Church and in my family.
QUESTION: What callings have you had that have frightened you? Perhaps you were a convert and given your first calling. Please share some of your experiences.
President Monson gives us counsel on how we will be able to fulfill our callings:
Quote #3, President Thomas S. Monson: “When we come to the temple let us come with the spirit of prayer, with the sprit of inquiry, with the spirit of acquiescence to the Spirit of the Lord and He will give us the power to fill any position that comes to us. He who the Lord calls, the Lord qualifies.” (“A New Temple Is Dedicated,” LDS Church News, September 1, 1990)
President Monson suggests we go to the temple for strength.
President Gordon B. Hinckley: “We are here to assist our Father in His work and His glory, ‘to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man’ (Moses 1:39). Your obligation is as serious in your sphere of responsibility as is my obligation my sphere. No calling in this church is small or of little consequence. All of us in the pursuit of our duty, touch the lives of others.
“To each of us in our respective responsibilities the Lord has said: “Wherefore, be faithful; stand in the office which I have appointed unto you; succor the weak, lift up the hands which hang down, and strengthen the feeble knees’ (D&C 81:5). ‘And in doing these things thou wilt do the greatest good unto thy fellow beings, and wilt promote the glory of him who is your Lord’ (D&C 81:4)…
President Hinckley continues: “You have as great an opportunity for satisfaction in the performance of your duty as I do in mine. The progress of this work will be determined by our joint efforts. Whatever your calling, it is as fraught with the same kind of opportunity to accomplish good as is mine. What is really important is that this is the work of the Master. Our work is to go about doing good as did He.” (“This Is the Work of the Master,” Ensign, May 1995, p. 71)
Freedom and the Atonement (Bringing about the effects of the Atonement through obedience.)
Just as the Lord liberated the captive Israelites from Egyptian bondage, He has also put in place the saving truths, ordinances, and powers to bless our lives with redeeming grace through the Atonement of Jesus Christ.
SCRIPTURE: Exodus 5:1
1. And afterward Moses and Aaron went in, and told Pharaoh, Thus saith the Lord God of Israel, Let my people go, that they may hold a feast unto me in the wilderness.
“The historical Israelite deliverance and exodus is a pattern for the journey of liberation that each of us must complete as we accomplish our ‘exodus’ from the bondage of sin and worldly entanglements toward a state of spiritual freedom.
“The Journey toward the Promised Land is symbolic of our passage toward Zion, where we can raise our families in truth and light, and taste the joys of the gospel through obedience and righteousness. Just as the Lord liberated Israel through the shedding of the blood of the firstborn of the Egyptians, so he liberated us through the shedding of blood of His Only Begotten, that we might not perish, but have everlasting life.
“The consequences of sin pass over us through the process of faith, repentance, baptism, and the gift of the Holy Ghost.” (Teachings and Commentary on the Old Testament, Ed J. Pinegar and Richard J. Allen, p. 356)
In Exodus 11 and 12, we read of the plague that was brought upon the Egyptians, but Pharaoh’s heart remained hardened. Then Moses gave instructions from the Lord for the Passover, and the Children of Israel are let go.
QUESTION: What was the Passover? [President Joseph Fielding Smith tell us:]
Quote #4, President Joseph Fielding Smith: “The Passover was a law given…to remind the children of Israel of the coming of Christ who would become the sacrificial Lamb. After he was crucified the law was changed by the Savior himself, and from that time forth the law of the sacrament was instituted. We now observe the law of the sacrament instead of the Passover because the Passover was consummated in full by the death of Jesus Christ.” (Answers to Gospel Questions, 5:153:154)
The Passover gives us a rich understanding and appreciation of the Atonement.
The Passover symbolized and embodied the future sacrifice of our Lord and
Savior Jesus Christ (2 Nephi 11:4).
Symbolizes:
The firstborn male lamb The Only Begotten Son
The blood of the lamb saved. That the blood of the Lord purified the
faithful Israelites.
No bones to be broken. As with the Lord (John 19:31-36)
Partake of unleavened bread. The bread of life. As we partake of Him
(taking His name upon us), we can be
purified.
This bread couldn’t spoil or mold. A repentance and purified person.
Partake in haste That we need to respond
enthusiastically to the offer of the Lord.
“The children of Israel were in slavery; Egypt held them in bondage. Likewise, we are in slavery and bondage to Satan because of sin. When the final plague was instituted during the Passover, the firstborn sons of Pharaoh and the Egyptians were taken and Israel was granted its freedom. We, likewise, are made free by the atoning blood of the Lord Jesus Christ.” (Teachings and Commentary on the Old Testament, Ed J. Pinegar and Richard J. Allen, pp. 357-358)
Quote #5, President Lorenzo Snow: "It appears that the children of Israel…were not very well acquainted with the Lord, or with His ability to carry out His purposes. They, however, had not the opportunities of becoming acquainted with Him, as have the Latter-day Saints. They had seen some of the works of the Lord wrought in the presence of the Egyptians as well as in their own presence; but their hearts had not been touched, neither had their understandings been enlightened by the intelligence of the Holy Spirit, as has been the case with the Latter-day Saints; and therefore, when they were brought to face the Red Sea, which, to all human appearance, was impassable, and with the armies of the Egyptians pressing close upon them, their hearts failed them." (Journal of Discourses, 23:150)
President Gordon B. Hinckley: “I cannot be grateful enough for the Atonement wrought by my Savior and my Redeemer. Through His sacrifice at the culmination of a life of perfection – that sacrifice offered in pain unspeakable – the bonds of death were broken, and the resurrection of all became assured. Beyond this, the doors of celestial glory have been opened to all who will accept divine truth and obey its precepts.” (“My Testimony,” Ensign, November 1993, p. 52)
Remember the Covenant (Particularly the sacrament)
Just as the Lord remembered His covenant promises to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, by delivering Israel, so must we show through our daily obedience that we remember His goodness and honor His commandments.
SCRIPTURE: Exodus 13:3
13. And Moses said unto the people, Remember this day, in which ye came out from Egypt, out of the house of bondage; for by strength of hand the Lord brought you out from this place: there shall be no leavened bread be eaten.”
In this scripture we are reminded about our constant need to show gratitude to our Father in Heaven for the prayers that have been answered through many blessings.
We can show our gratitude for the Savior by remembering him as we partake of the sacrament.
Quote #6, Elder Jeffrey R. Holland: "Do we see [the sacrament] as our passover, this ordinance commemorating our safety and deliverance and redemption?
"With so very much at stake, this ordinance commemorating our escape from the angel of darkness should be taken more seriously than it sometimes is. It should be a powerful, reverent, reflective moment. It should encourage spiritual feelings and impressions." (Ensign, Nov. 1995, p. 68)
Quote #7, President Joseph Fielding Smith: “Partaking of the sacrament is one of the most sacred ordinances given to the Church. It is given in order that we may be brought in closer communion with the spirit of the Lord and thus renew three most sacred covenants. They are first, that we will take upon us the name of Jesus Christ; second, that we will always remember him; third, that we will always keep his commandments which he has given us. We are promised if we will dot this that we will be blessed with the constant companionship of his spirit. If we have violated any one of these covenants, then there should be sincere repentance through which we receive forgiveness of the Church before we partake of the sacrament.” (Answers to Gospel Questions, 1:85)
“King Benjamin taught that as we come to a knowledge of the glory of God, and have tasted of His love and received a remission of our sins, we should always
Remember the greatness of God and His goodness and long-suffering toward us, and we should humble ourselves and call upon His name daily.
“He promised if we will do this we will always rejoice and be filled with the love of God, and retain a remission of our sins; and we will grow in the knowledge of God and of that which is just and true (Mosiah 4:12).” (Teachings and Commentary on the Old Testament, Ed J. Pinegar and Richard J. Allen, p. 359)
Guiding ligh of the gospel (The Holy Spirit nourishes and guides us.)
The Lord provided means to guide the Israelites in their journey out of Egypt. Similarly, He provides for us the light of the gospel and the voice of prophecy so we might find our way safely back into His presence.
SCRIPTURE: Exodus 13:21
21. And the Lord went before them by day in a pillar of a cloud, to lead them the way; and by night in a pillar of fire, to give them light.
The Lord supplied miraculous means for marking the path of liberation and showing the Israelites the way to safety. He had Moses part the Red Sea for their escape! No less miraculous are His blessings to us today, leading us from one milestone to the next in our journey for spiritual liberation.
QUESTION: What have we been given to light the path showing us the way to spiritual safety?
● Scriptures – Book of Mormon
● The voice of living prophets
● The priesthood to provide authorized ordinances and salvation
● The sealing ordinances of the temple
● The Holy Spirit to illuminate our souls
● Our families
The voice of living prophets have again given us counsel and inspiration that show us the way to spiritual safety.
QUESTION: What counsel from conference touched you last week?
EXPERIENCE: Raising children in these difficult times
I visited with one of my daughters recently, and she mentioned the need she felt for guidance in General Conference on how to raise her children in these difficult times. If I had to pick one theme I felt during conference it was “How to Raise Righteous Families.”
I loved Elder Ballard’s counsel to mothers and daughters. He told the young women to “Look to your faithful mothers for a pattern to follow. Model yourselves after them, not after celebrities whose standards are not the Lord’s standards…Listen to her…trust her…be kind to her.”
To the mothers he said, “If the mother’s are thrifty so are their daughters. If the mothers are modest, so are their girls. If the mothers wear flip flops and other causal clothing to sacrament meeting, so do their daughters.” He told them that the world openly embraces casual promiscuity and immodesty. Elder Ballard said, “You need to have frequent, open discussions during which you teach your daughters the truth about these issues…teach them how to repent and how to remain pure and worthy.”
Truly the Lord is aware of our concerns and delights in guiding us as we raise our families.
President Spencer W. Kimball gives an example of how the Holy Ghost gives counsel and inspiration:
Quote #8, President Spencer W. Kimball: “President Heber J. Grant related an example of the revelations of the Lord to him. For twenty-two years he had felt the inspiration of the living God directing him in his labors. He wrote: ‘From the day that I chose a comparative stranger [Melvin J. Ballard] to be one of the apostles, instead of my lifelong and dearest living friend, I have known as I know that I live, that I am entitled to the light and the inspiration and the guidance of God in directing His work here upon the earth.” (Teachings of Spencer W. Kimball, p. 448)
In families we help each other maintain a spiritual safety. We should remain ever vigilant and strong so that Satan will not have power over us and take us from spiritual safety.
Quote #9, President Joseph Fielding Smith: “It should be remembered that Satan has great knowledge and thereby can exercise authority and to some extent the elements, when some greater power does not intervene.” (Answers to Gospel Questions, 1:176-78)
A greater power did intervene and Moses led the Children of Israel through the Red Sea and the people believed.
SCRIPTURE: Exodus 14:14
15. And the Lord said unto Moses, Wherefore criest thou unto me? Speak unto the children of Israel that they go forward.
16. But lift thou up thy rod, and stretch out thine hand over the sea, and divide it: and the children of Israel shall go on dry ground through the midst of the sea.
CONCLUSION
“From the scriptural account of the Exodus, we renew our acquaintance with the miraculous way the Lord delivered Israel from bondage through the leadership of a great prophet.
“Similarly, we can be delivered from the bondage of…sin through the redemption of Jesus Christ.
“The process of deliverance is simple and straightforward.
“Our Heavenly Father hears our sincere prayers of faith and declares His will through the scriptures and the words of living prophets.
“Through obedience to the principles of the gospel, and through the saving ordinances administered by authorized priesthood leaders, we are blessed with the effects of the Atonement in our lives.
Partaking of the sacrament allows us to renew our covenants and our commitment to obedience.” (Teachings and Commentary on the Old Testament, Ed J. Pinegar and Richard J. Allen, p.363)
I am thankful for this great story of Moses and the Exodus of the Children of Israel.
I know that it was through the power of God that they were delivered.
I pray that through our obedience each of us will delivered and return to our Father in Heaven.
"Fruitful in the Land of My Affliction"
Faithful in the ladn of My Affliction
Old Testament: Lesson 12 (Genesis 40-45)
by Ted L. Gibbons
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Introduction
The story of Joseph makes me think about what it really means to be free. During the early years of Joseph's life, while he was experiencing the viciousness of murderous brothers and the solitude of slavery and the pain of imprisonment, his brothers were
(1) committing murder [Genesis 34]; (2) committing immoral acts [Genesis 35, 38]; (3) plotting murder [Genesis 37]; and lying to their father [Genesis 37]. Which of all the sons of Jacob was most free? There are some lessons to be learned here. Part of the answer to this question comes as we consider who bows to whom, and who sits on a throne, and who lives with decades of guilt and remorse.
I. JOSEPH INTERPRETS THE DREAM OF THE BUTLER, THE BAKER, AND PHARAOH. PHARAOH MAKES JOSEPH RULER OVER ALL EGYPT.
Last week we watched Joseph prosper in the house of Potiphar. His commitment to the commandments enabled the Lord to bless him continuously, although the blessings were not always visible. In fact, the matter of Potiphar's wife led to imprisonment.
And Joseph's master took him, and put him into the prison, a place where the king's prisoners were bound: and he was there in the prison. (Gen. 39:20)
But even in the course of this unjust incarceration, Joseph was faithful to his covenants and was blessed of the Lord.
But LORD was with Joseph, and shewed him mercy, and gave him favour in the sight of the keeper of the prison. And the keeper of the prison committed to Joseph's hand all the prisoners that were in the prison; and whatsoever they did there, he was the doer of it. The keeper of the prison looked not to any thing that was under his hand; because the LORD was with him, and that which he did, the LORD made it to prosper (Gen. 39:21-23).
Reading this account reminded me of the promise the Lord made to the Nephites in Helam when they were overrun and placed in servitude by the Lamanites.
And I will also ease the burdens which are put upon your shoulders, that even you cannot feel them upon your backs, even while you are in bondage; and this will I do that ye may stand as witnesses for me hereafter, and that ye may know of a surety that I, the Lord God, do visit my people in their afflictions. And now it came to pass that the burdens which were laid upon Alma and his brethren were made light; yea, the Lord did strengthen them that they could bear up their burdens with ease, and they did submit cheerfully and with patience to all the will of the Lord (Mos. 24:14,15)
Joseph's burden was not a physical one like those carried by the Nephites, but it was an oppressive burden, and the Lord eased that burden by his blessings to Joseph, while Joseph "did submit cheerfully and with patience to all the will of the Lord." It is one thing to be in prison, but it is a better thing to be in prison and in charge of the prison.
Joseph's righteousness is clearly demonstrated by his access to the Spirit. The butler and the baker were placed in the charge of Joseph. One day he noticed that they look sad.
And they dreamed a dream both of them, each man his dream in one night, each man according to the interpretation of his dream, the butler and the baker of the king of Egypt, which were bound in the prison. And Joseph came in unto them in the morning, and looked upon them, and, behold, they were sad (Gen. 40:5,6)
Think about this. They are in prison, for goodness sakes. Why should it surprise Joseph or anyone else that they are sad? How many happy people do you expect to see in prison? But these prisoners are in the care of a man of God, a man who has apparently arranged things among the prisoners in order to maximize the peace and joy of the inmates. Of course Joseph does more than notice. He tries to help.
And he asked Pharaoh's officers that were with him in the ward of his lord's house, saying, Wherefore look ye so sadly to day? And they said unto him, We have dreamed a dream, and there is no interpreter of it. And Joseph said unto them, Do not interpretations belong to God? Tell me them, I pray you (Gen. 40:7,8)
There is a lesson hidden (hopefully not too deeply hidden) here. We ought, by our devotion to the Lord and the principles of his gospel, to make things better wherever we may be. Joseph's treatment of other prisoners reminds us of the requirements of the Lord in Matthew 25:40 and Mosiah 2:17.
The butler and the baker shared their dreams and Joseph interpreted them correctly. To the butler, who would survive prison and return to the service of the king, Joseph made this appeal:
But think on me when it shall be well with thee, and shew kindness, I pray thee, unto me, and make mention of me unto Pharaoh, and bring me out of this house: For indeed I was stolen away out of the land of the Hebrews: and here also have I done nothing that they should put me into the dungeon (Gen 40:14,15).
We must not fail to see the hand of the Lord at work here. Joseph may have had a premonition that his interpretation of the dreams would somehow bring him to the attention of Pharaoh, but he could not have known that the Lord had already begun to prepare a way for him to leave prison and to save his father's household and the covenant race of Abraham. I suspect that God is often invisibly at work in our lives. We may be certain that he has forgotten us. Even after his interpretation of the dreams, Joseph spent two more years in prison (see Gen. 41:1), waiting and praying and submitting. Part of the principle of faith in Jesus Christ must be faith in his timing, and also the conviction that he loves us and has our best interests at heart, whether we can see him at work or not.
Discerning the "overruling, almighty hand" of God . . . is not always easy. Only he knows the end from the beginning and has all things present before him. If he can make provision for a needed second set of plates hundreds of years before Martin Harris's misfortune, who but the most spiritual knows at any given moment where he may be taking us? My own feeling is that it might be well for us to remember that although God's children are very important to the accomplishment of his purposes, we often are not unlike the young children at an amusement park who drive those little centrally controlled race cars that travel a circular course on a metal rail with their wheels several inches off the ground. The young, excited drivers furiously pump the gas pedals and spin the steering wheels, fully believing they are having some influence, but the cars go at a speed and in a direction that are largely determined by park management! (Elder Marlin K. Jensen, Out of Obscurity: The LDS Church in the Twentieth Century [29th Annual Sperry Symposium] pp. 2,3)
On the issue of faith in the Lord's timing, Elder Oaks wrote:
The issue for us is trusting God enough to trust also His timing. If we can truly believe he has our welfare at heart, may we not let his plans unfold as he thinks best? The same is true with the second coming and with all those matters wherein our faith needs to include faith in the Lord's timing for us personally, not just in His overall plans and purposes (Dallin H. Oaks: Even As I Am, p. 93)
We must allow God to do things in his own way and at his own time. Joseph spent 13 years as a slave and as a prisoner. Could not the Lord have done things in a better, quicker way? Absolutely not. We only ask those kinds of questions because we do not know what things the Lord is doing. Who knows the influence Joseph had on Potiphar and his household, or on the keeper of the prison and the prisoners. How can we know what the other brothers learned in those years after the sale of Joseph. What we must know is that God will not permit these things without a purpose. Elder Scott explained it so well.
While you are passing through [your trials], the pain and difficulty that comes from being enlarged will continue. If all matters were immediately resolved at your first petition, you could not grow. Your Father in Heaven and His Beloved Son love you perfectly. They would not require you to experience a moment more of difficulty than is absolutely needed for your personal benefit or for that of those you love (Richard G. Scott, "Trust in the Lord," Ensign, Nov. 1995, 17).
What the Lord said to the elders sent to Missouri to bear testimony of the land of Zion might just as well have been said to Joseph, or to any of us.
Ye cannot behold with your natural eyes, for the present time, the design of your God concerning those things which shall come hereafter, and the glory which shall follow after much tribulation. For after much tribulation come the blessings. Wherefore the day cometh that ye shall be crowned with much glory; the hour is not yet, but is nigh at hand (D&C 58:3,4)
Finally, Pharaoh had two dreams.
And it came to pass in the morning that his spirit was troubled; and he sent and called for all the magicians of Egypt, and all the wise men thereof: and Pharaoh told them his dream; but there was none that could interpret them unto Pharaoh (Gen. 41:8).
Then the butler remembered Joseph and told Pharaoh of a prisoner who could interpret dreams. You remember the dreams about the cows and the corn. President Hinckley has mentioned them a time or two in recent conferences. After quoting the scriptural text of the dreams in October of 1998, President Hinckley said,
Now, brethren, I want to make it very clear that I am not prophesying, that I am not predicting years of famine in the future. But I am suggesting that the time has come to get our houses in order.
So many of our people are living on the very edge of their incomes. In fact, some are living on borrowings.
We have witnessed in recent weeks wide and fearsome swings in the markets of the world. The economy is a fragile thing. A stumble in the economy in Jakarta or Moscow can immediately affect the entire world. It can eventually reach down to each of us as individuals. There is a portent of stormy weather ahead to which we had better give heed (Gordon B. Hinckley, "To the Boys and to the Men," Ensign, Nov. 1998, 53).
Pharaoh had enough faith in Joseph, a man he had just met, to give heed. Will we have enough faith in the Prophet for whom we have such a great love to do the same thing?
II. JOSEPH MAKES HIMSELF KNOWN TO HIS BROTHERS AND FORGIVES THEM.
After 7 years of plenty came the years of famine. Joseph had now been in Egypt for over 20 years. The famine was over "all the face of the earth" (Gen. 41:56) Finally, in Canaan, it became so bad that Israel was forced to send some of his sons to Egypt to buy food.
I have often wondered how Joseph felt when these 10 men who had betrayed him and sold him came in "and bowed down themselves before him with their faces to the earth" (Gen. 42:6). Joseph could not have known when he saw this very event in a dream (see Gen. 37:55-9) that the fulfillment would take 20 years. Once again he had waited on the timing of the Lord. We are told that he remembered the dreams (Gen. 42:9).
His treatment of the brothers cannot be an act of vengeance. Joseph is too close to the Spirit to even consider such an attitude in him. Perhaps his careful manipulation of the circumstances is an attempt to learn about the character of his brothers. He locked them up as spies. After three days of prison (compared to years of prison for Joseph) Joseph gave all but one of them leave to go home. Of course they did not know him, but he knew them and spoke through an interpreter even though he could understand them perfectly.
Notice the reaction of Joseph when he learned of the guilt that these men still felt over their treatment of him.
And they said one to another, We are verily guilty concerning our brother, in that we saw the anguish of his soul, when he besought us, and we would not hear; therefore is this distress come upon us. And Reuben answered them, saying, Spake I not unto you, saying, Do not sin against the child; and ye would not hear? therefore, behold, also his blood is required. And they knew not that Joseph understood them; for he spake unto them by an interpreter. And he turned himself about from them, and wept . . . (Gen. 42:21-24).
Why did he weep? Almost certainly over the 20+ years of guilt these brothers had endured.
Joseph sent them home but kept Simeon to insure their return. He refused to see them again, however, unless they brought their brother, Benjamin (Joseph's only full brother) with them. Perhaps Joseph wondered if they would return, or if they would sacrifice another brother for their own comfort and safety. His return of their money to their grain sacks was a way to determine something about their integrity.
When Israel heard the story of Simeon and the demand for Benjamin, we was devastated. His language is interesting:
And Jacob their father said unto them, Me have ye bereaved of my children: Joseph is not, and Simeon is not, and ye will take Benjamin away: all these things are against me (Gen 42:36).
All these things are against me, he said, but he was wrong. Actually, they were all too be turned into blessings for him. This is often the case with our trials. Remember that when Adam and Eve were driven out of the garden, God cursed the ground for their sakes.
Just when all seems to be going right, challenges often come in multiple doses applied simultaneously. When those trials are not consequences of your disobedience, they are evidence that the Lord feels you are prepared to grow more (see Prov. 3:11—12). He therefore gives you experiences that stimulate growth, understanding, and compassion which polish you for your everlasting benefit. To get you from where you are to where He wants you to be requires a lot of stretching, and that generally entails discomfort and pain (Elder Richard G. Scott: "Trust in the Lord," Ensign, Nov. 1995, 16—17).
Finally, Joseph made himself known to his brothers. He wept and told them who he was and forgave them in a moment's time.
And Joseph said unto his brethren, Come near to me, I pray you. And they came near. And he said, I am Joseph your brother, whom ye sold into Egypt. Now therefore be not grieved, nor angry with yourselves, that ye sold me hither: for God did send me before you to preserve life. For these two years hath the famine been in the land: and yet there are five years, in the which there shall neither be earing nor harvest. And God sent me before you to preserve you a posterity in the earth, and to save your lives by a great deliverance. So now it was not you that sent me hither, but God: and he hath made me a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house, and a ruler throughout all the land of Egypt (Gen. 45:3-8).
But guilt is an awful taskmaster. Years later, at the time of the death of Jacob, the brothers are still worried about Joseph's feelings for them. They appeal to him again, in the name of their departed father, to forgive them.
And when Joseph's brethren saw that their father was dead, they said, Joseph will peradventure hate us, and will certainly requite us all the evil which we did unto him. And they sent a messenger unto Joseph, saying, Thy father did command before he died, saying, So shall ye say unto Joseph, Forgive, I pray thee now, the trespass of thy brethren, and their sin; for they did unto thee evil: and now, we pray thee, forgive the trespass of the servants of the God of thy father. And Joseph wept when they spake unto him. And his brethren also went and fell down before his face; and they said, Behold, we be thy servants. And Joseph said unto them, Fear not: for am I in the place of God? (Gen. 50:15-19)
This is, after all, what it is all about. In matters of trial and difficulty and forgiveness we must not demand for ourselves privileges that belong only in the place of God. We must forgive, and we must wait patiently for him and for his will to be made known.
Conclusion
I had the opportunity to learn an important, Joseph-like-lesson about trials and the timing of God. I would like to share it with you here. My experiences were much less difficult than Joseph's, but the lessons seem to be similar.
Nineteen years after the death of my father, my mother remarried. Within three years her second husband was dead and she was living alone with her advancing blindness in the house he had left her. Even though I had a sister living near her, I felt a need to move to the city where she lived in order to be of assistance. I told those in charge of assignments for the Church Educational System, my employer, that I wanted to be moved to the Logan Seminary if possible. I explained my concerns about my mother and was told that every effort would be made to accommodate my request. My wife and I prayed often about this, keeping the Lord informed of our hopes. No selfish desires clouded this request. Even though my wife and I met and married in Logan, we had no desire to live there again, except that my mother was there and she clearly needed me.
When assignments were made in April for the following school year, I was informed that I would not be moving to Logan to teach. There were no openings for me in the seminary there. I was disappointed—profoundly disappointed, but I resigned myself to the circumstance and resolved to apply again the following year.
In the summer before the new school year began I attended a meeting of CES personnel at BYU. While there, I encountered the principal of the Logan Seminary, a dear friend and former bishop. He had a question for me.
"Ted, why did you decide not to come to Logan?"
"I didn't decide," I said. "You didn't have any openings."
"No openings?" he replied. "Ted, we put three new teachers in the Logan Seminary for next year. They could have gone anywhere."
Suddenly my feelings about the situation changed. I could not understand why my request—my righteous request—had not been granted. Why had the Lord not intervened to get me to the place where I was needed? I knew what was best. Didn't he?
These were my feelings on the day I met the principal from Logan, and for several weeks after that. What had happened made no sense at all to me. Everything I could see with my natural eyes specified that I should be moving to Logan that summer.
But just weeks after school started, my mother, who had always been fiercely independent and who loathed the thought that she might become a burden to one of her children, surrendered her independence. She gave her home to the children of her second husband and moved to Orem, where I live, and into the home of an older sister one half mile down the street from my own home.
And just a few months later, my sister and her husband accepted a call to preside over a mission beginning the following summer. Mom needed a new home for three years. When the time came for the move, we only needed one half hour to move her and her belongings to my home.
How grateful I was and continue to be that the Lord did not give me what I had pled for. How thankful I am to worship a being who can see the wide expanse of eternity and allow things to work together for the good of his children (Ted L. Gibbons, This Life is a Test, pp. 39-41).
I think Joseph and his family must also have been grateful that the Lord gave them what they needed rather than what they wanted.
Old Testament: Lesson 12 (Genesis 40-45)
by Ted L. Gibbons
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Introduction
The story of Joseph makes me think about what it really means to be free. During the early years of Joseph's life, while he was experiencing the viciousness of murderous brothers and the solitude of slavery and the pain of imprisonment, his brothers were
(1) committing murder [Genesis 34]; (2) committing immoral acts [Genesis 35, 38]; (3) plotting murder [Genesis 37]; and lying to their father [Genesis 37]. Which of all the sons of Jacob was most free? There are some lessons to be learned here. Part of the answer to this question comes as we consider who bows to whom, and who sits on a throne, and who lives with decades of guilt and remorse.
I. JOSEPH INTERPRETS THE DREAM OF THE BUTLER, THE BAKER, AND PHARAOH. PHARAOH MAKES JOSEPH RULER OVER ALL EGYPT.
Last week we watched Joseph prosper in the house of Potiphar. His commitment to the commandments enabled the Lord to bless him continuously, although the blessings were not always visible. In fact, the matter of Potiphar's wife led to imprisonment.
And Joseph's master took him, and put him into the prison, a place where the king's prisoners were bound: and he was there in the prison. (Gen. 39:20)
But even in the course of this unjust incarceration, Joseph was faithful to his covenants and was blessed of the Lord.
But LORD was with Joseph, and shewed him mercy, and gave him favour in the sight of the keeper of the prison. And the keeper of the prison committed to Joseph's hand all the prisoners that were in the prison; and whatsoever they did there, he was the doer of it. The keeper of the prison looked not to any thing that was under his hand; because the LORD was with him, and that which he did, the LORD made it to prosper (Gen. 39:21-23).
Reading this account reminded me of the promise the Lord made to the Nephites in Helam when they were overrun and placed in servitude by the Lamanites.
And I will also ease the burdens which are put upon your shoulders, that even you cannot feel them upon your backs, even while you are in bondage; and this will I do that ye may stand as witnesses for me hereafter, and that ye may know of a surety that I, the Lord God, do visit my people in their afflictions. And now it came to pass that the burdens which were laid upon Alma and his brethren were made light; yea, the Lord did strengthen them that they could bear up their burdens with ease, and they did submit cheerfully and with patience to all the will of the Lord (Mos. 24:14,15)
Joseph's burden was not a physical one like those carried by the Nephites, but it was an oppressive burden, and the Lord eased that burden by his blessings to Joseph, while Joseph "did submit cheerfully and with patience to all the will of the Lord." It is one thing to be in prison, but it is a better thing to be in prison and in charge of the prison.
Joseph's righteousness is clearly demonstrated by his access to the Spirit. The butler and the baker were placed in the charge of Joseph. One day he noticed that they look sad.
And they dreamed a dream both of them, each man his dream in one night, each man according to the interpretation of his dream, the butler and the baker of the king of Egypt, which were bound in the prison. And Joseph came in unto them in the morning, and looked upon them, and, behold, they were sad (Gen. 40:5,6)
Think about this. They are in prison, for goodness sakes. Why should it surprise Joseph or anyone else that they are sad? How many happy people do you expect to see in prison? But these prisoners are in the care of a man of God, a man who has apparently arranged things among the prisoners in order to maximize the peace and joy of the inmates. Of course Joseph does more than notice. He tries to help.
And he asked Pharaoh's officers that were with him in the ward of his lord's house, saying, Wherefore look ye so sadly to day? And they said unto him, We have dreamed a dream, and there is no interpreter of it. And Joseph said unto them, Do not interpretations belong to God? Tell me them, I pray you (Gen. 40:7,8)
There is a lesson hidden (hopefully not too deeply hidden) here. We ought, by our devotion to the Lord and the principles of his gospel, to make things better wherever we may be. Joseph's treatment of other prisoners reminds us of the requirements of the Lord in Matthew 25:40 and Mosiah 2:17.
The butler and the baker shared their dreams and Joseph interpreted them correctly. To the butler, who would survive prison and return to the service of the king, Joseph made this appeal:
But think on me when it shall be well with thee, and shew kindness, I pray thee, unto me, and make mention of me unto Pharaoh, and bring me out of this house: For indeed I was stolen away out of the land of the Hebrews: and here also have I done nothing that they should put me into the dungeon (Gen 40:14,15).
We must not fail to see the hand of the Lord at work here. Joseph may have had a premonition that his interpretation of the dreams would somehow bring him to the attention of Pharaoh, but he could not have known that the Lord had already begun to prepare a way for him to leave prison and to save his father's household and the covenant race of Abraham. I suspect that God is often invisibly at work in our lives. We may be certain that he has forgotten us. Even after his interpretation of the dreams, Joseph spent two more years in prison (see Gen. 41:1), waiting and praying and submitting. Part of the principle of faith in Jesus Christ must be faith in his timing, and also the conviction that he loves us and has our best interests at heart, whether we can see him at work or not.
Discerning the "overruling, almighty hand" of God . . . is not always easy. Only he knows the end from the beginning and has all things present before him. If he can make provision for a needed second set of plates hundreds of years before Martin Harris's misfortune, who but the most spiritual knows at any given moment where he may be taking us? My own feeling is that it might be well for us to remember that although God's children are very important to the accomplishment of his purposes, we often are not unlike the young children at an amusement park who drive those little centrally controlled race cars that travel a circular course on a metal rail with their wheels several inches off the ground. The young, excited drivers furiously pump the gas pedals and spin the steering wheels, fully believing they are having some influence, but the cars go at a speed and in a direction that are largely determined by park management! (Elder Marlin K. Jensen, Out of Obscurity: The LDS Church in the Twentieth Century [29th Annual Sperry Symposium] pp. 2,3)
On the issue of faith in the Lord's timing, Elder Oaks wrote:
The issue for us is trusting God enough to trust also His timing. If we can truly believe he has our welfare at heart, may we not let his plans unfold as he thinks best? The same is true with the second coming and with all those matters wherein our faith needs to include faith in the Lord's timing for us personally, not just in His overall plans and purposes (Dallin H. Oaks: Even As I Am, p. 93)
We must allow God to do things in his own way and at his own time. Joseph spent 13 years as a slave and as a prisoner. Could not the Lord have done things in a better, quicker way? Absolutely not. We only ask those kinds of questions because we do not know what things the Lord is doing. Who knows the influence Joseph had on Potiphar and his household, or on the keeper of the prison and the prisoners. How can we know what the other brothers learned in those years after the sale of Joseph. What we must know is that God will not permit these things without a purpose. Elder Scott explained it so well.
While you are passing through [your trials], the pain and difficulty that comes from being enlarged will continue. If all matters were immediately resolved at your first petition, you could not grow. Your Father in Heaven and His Beloved Son love you perfectly. They would not require you to experience a moment more of difficulty than is absolutely needed for your personal benefit or for that of those you love (Richard G. Scott, "Trust in the Lord," Ensign, Nov. 1995, 17).
What the Lord said to the elders sent to Missouri to bear testimony of the land of Zion might just as well have been said to Joseph, or to any of us.
Ye cannot behold with your natural eyes, for the present time, the design of your God concerning those things which shall come hereafter, and the glory which shall follow after much tribulation. For after much tribulation come the blessings. Wherefore the day cometh that ye shall be crowned with much glory; the hour is not yet, but is nigh at hand (D&C 58:3,4)
Finally, Pharaoh had two dreams.
And it came to pass in the morning that his spirit was troubled; and he sent and called for all the magicians of Egypt, and all the wise men thereof: and Pharaoh told them his dream; but there was none that could interpret them unto Pharaoh (Gen. 41:8).
Then the butler remembered Joseph and told Pharaoh of a prisoner who could interpret dreams. You remember the dreams about the cows and the corn. President Hinckley has mentioned them a time or two in recent conferences. After quoting the scriptural text of the dreams in October of 1998, President Hinckley said,
Now, brethren, I want to make it very clear that I am not prophesying, that I am not predicting years of famine in the future. But I am suggesting that the time has come to get our houses in order.
So many of our people are living on the very edge of their incomes. In fact, some are living on borrowings.
We have witnessed in recent weeks wide and fearsome swings in the markets of the world. The economy is a fragile thing. A stumble in the economy in Jakarta or Moscow can immediately affect the entire world. It can eventually reach down to each of us as individuals. There is a portent of stormy weather ahead to which we had better give heed (Gordon B. Hinckley, "To the Boys and to the Men," Ensign, Nov. 1998, 53).
Pharaoh had enough faith in Joseph, a man he had just met, to give heed. Will we have enough faith in the Prophet for whom we have such a great love to do the same thing?
II. JOSEPH MAKES HIMSELF KNOWN TO HIS BROTHERS AND FORGIVES THEM.
After 7 years of plenty came the years of famine. Joseph had now been in Egypt for over 20 years. The famine was over "all the face of the earth" (Gen. 41:56) Finally, in Canaan, it became so bad that Israel was forced to send some of his sons to Egypt to buy food.
I have often wondered how Joseph felt when these 10 men who had betrayed him and sold him came in "and bowed down themselves before him with their faces to the earth" (Gen. 42:6). Joseph could not have known when he saw this very event in a dream (see Gen. 37:55-9) that the fulfillment would take 20 years. Once again he had waited on the timing of the Lord. We are told that he remembered the dreams (Gen. 42:9).
His treatment of the brothers cannot be an act of vengeance. Joseph is too close to the Spirit to even consider such an attitude in him. Perhaps his careful manipulation of the circumstances is an attempt to learn about the character of his brothers. He locked them up as spies. After three days of prison (compared to years of prison for Joseph) Joseph gave all but one of them leave to go home. Of course they did not know him, but he knew them and spoke through an interpreter even though he could understand them perfectly.
Notice the reaction of Joseph when he learned of the guilt that these men still felt over their treatment of him.
And they said one to another, We are verily guilty concerning our brother, in that we saw the anguish of his soul, when he besought us, and we would not hear; therefore is this distress come upon us. And Reuben answered them, saying, Spake I not unto you, saying, Do not sin against the child; and ye would not hear? therefore, behold, also his blood is required. And they knew not that Joseph understood them; for he spake unto them by an interpreter. And he turned himself about from them, and wept . . . (Gen. 42:21-24).
Why did he weep? Almost certainly over the 20+ years of guilt these brothers had endured.
Joseph sent them home but kept Simeon to insure their return. He refused to see them again, however, unless they brought their brother, Benjamin (Joseph's only full brother) with them. Perhaps Joseph wondered if they would return, or if they would sacrifice another brother for their own comfort and safety. His return of their money to their grain sacks was a way to determine something about their integrity.
When Israel heard the story of Simeon and the demand for Benjamin, we was devastated. His language is interesting:
And Jacob their father said unto them, Me have ye bereaved of my children: Joseph is not, and Simeon is not, and ye will take Benjamin away: all these things are against me (Gen 42:36).
All these things are against me, he said, but he was wrong. Actually, they were all too be turned into blessings for him. This is often the case with our trials. Remember that when Adam and Eve were driven out of the garden, God cursed the ground for their sakes.
Just when all seems to be going right, challenges often come in multiple doses applied simultaneously. When those trials are not consequences of your disobedience, they are evidence that the Lord feels you are prepared to grow more (see Prov. 3:11—12). He therefore gives you experiences that stimulate growth, understanding, and compassion which polish you for your everlasting benefit. To get you from where you are to where He wants you to be requires a lot of stretching, and that generally entails discomfort and pain (Elder Richard G. Scott: "Trust in the Lord," Ensign, Nov. 1995, 16—17).
Finally, Joseph made himself known to his brothers. He wept and told them who he was and forgave them in a moment's time.
And Joseph said unto his brethren, Come near to me, I pray you. And they came near. And he said, I am Joseph your brother, whom ye sold into Egypt. Now therefore be not grieved, nor angry with yourselves, that ye sold me hither: for God did send me before you to preserve life. For these two years hath the famine been in the land: and yet there are five years, in the which there shall neither be earing nor harvest. And God sent me before you to preserve you a posterity in the earth, and to save your lives by a great deliverance. So now it was not you that sent me hither, but God: and he hath made me a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house, and a ruler throughout all the land of Egypt (Gen. 45:3-8).
But guilt is an awful taskmaster. Years later, at the time of the death of Jacob, the brothers are still worried about Joseph's feelings for them. They appeal to him again, in the name of their departed father, to forgive them.
And when Joseph's brethren saw that their father was dead, they said, Joseph will peradventure hate us, and will certainly requite us all the evil which we did unto him. And they sent a messenger unto Joseph, saying, Thy father did command before he died, saying, So shall ye say unto Joseph, Forgive, I pray thee now, the trespass of thy brethren, and their sin; for they did unto thee evil: and now, we pray thee, forgive the trespass of the servants of the God of thy father. And Joseph wept when they spake unto him. And his brethren also went and fell down before his face; and they said, Behold, we be thy servants. And Joseph said unto them, Fear not: for am I in the place of God? (Gen. 50:15-19)
This is, after all, what it is all about. In matters of trial and difficulty and forgiveness we must not demand for ourselves privileges that belong only in the place of God. We must forgive, and we must wait patiently for him and for his will to be made known.
Conclusion
I had the opportunity to learn an important, Joseph-like-lesson about trials and the timing of God. I would like to share it with you here. My experiences were much less difficult than Joseph's, but the lessons seem to be similar.
Nineteen years after the death of my father, my mother remarried. Within three years her second husband was dead and she was living alone with her advancing blindness in the house he had left her. Even though I had a sister living near her, I felt a need to move to the city where she lived in order to be of assistance. I told those in charge of assignments for the Church Educational System, my employer, that I wanted to be moved to the Logan Seminary if possible. I explained my concerns about my mother and was told that every effort would be made to accommodate my request. My wife and I prayed often about this, keeping the Lord informed of our hopes. No selfish desires clouded this request. Even though my wife and I met and married in Logan, we had no desire to live there again, except that my mother was there and she clearly needed me.
When assignments were made in April for the following school year, I was informed that I would not be moving to Logan to teach. There were no openings for me in the seminary there. I was disappointed—profoundly disappointed, but I resigned myself to the circumstance and resolved to apply again the following year.
In the summer before the new school year began I attended a meeting of CES personnel at BYU. While there, I encountered the principal of the Logan Seminary, a dear friend and former bishop. He had a question for me.
"Ted, why did you decide not to come to Logan?"
"I didn't decide," I said. "You didn't have any openings."
"No openings?" he replied. "Ted, we put three new teachers in the Logan Seminary for next year. They could have gone anywhere."
Suddenly my feelings about the situation changed. I could not understand why my request—my righteous request—had not been granted. Why had the Lord not intervened to get me to the place where I was needed? I knew what was best. Didn't he?
These were my feelings on the day I met the principal from Logan, and for several weeks after that. What had happened made no sense at all to me. Everything I could see with my natural eyes specified that I should be moving to Logan that summer.
But just weeks after school started, my mother, who had always been fiercely independent and who loathed the thought that she might become a burden to one of her children, surrendered her independence. She gave her home to the children of her second husband and moved to Orem, where I live, and into the home of an older sister one half mile down the street from my own home.
And just a few months later, my sister and her husband accepted a call to preside over a mission beginning the following summer. Mom needed a new home for three years. When the time came for the move, we only needed one half hour to move her and her belongings to my home.
How grateful I was and continue to be that the Lord did not give me what I had pled for. How thankful I am to worship a being who can see the wide expanse of eternity and allow things to work together for the good of his children (Ted L. Gibbons, This Life is a Test, pp. 39-41).
I think Joseph and his family must also have been grateful that the Lord gave them what they needed rather than what they wanted.
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